Pulse Initiative Watchers and Angelus Oh My!
by Weasy
Summary: Buffy and Faith are two of many Slayers, but the Council's had enough of their behaviour, and the Initiative has got their eye on them too... Their enemy could be the only one who can save them. PART 25!
1. Hyperion

Initiative, Watchers and Angelus Oh My!  
By Weasy  
  
DISCLAIMER: They belong to Joss et al. Initial plot comes from a challenge by Carol Ann.   
SUMMARY: Half AU, Slayers Buffy and Faith and two of many Council trained slayers, but they don't follow the rules and the council's had enough.  
RATING: It should be at least an R, depending how the plot develops it might not get that far, or it might go over.  
PAIRING: B/Aus  
DEDICATION: Hmm, I think this one goes to Jo, because I still haven't got her a birthday present. To everyone who sends feedback, to anyone, because I always forget. Finally to Glenn Quinn.   
DISTRIBUTION: If you want it you can have it just tell me.  
FEEDBACK: Please!   
AUTHORS NOTE: There are a lot more slayers than just one, in fact nearly every town has one. Buffy is the Slayer (With Giles as her unofficial Watcher) for Los Angeles and Faith is the slayer (With Wesley as the unofficial Watcher) for Sunnydale. Both Wes and Giles were fired after their handling of Buffy and Faith's 18th birthday tests. Angelus never had his little run in with the gypsies so he's still soulless, some things in the Buffyverse happened others didn't. They should be explained as I go along. Lyrics are,   
  
  
Part One –   
//The fuse is burning somewhere//  
Buffy leaned over the handrail of the balcony and glared at the gloom below her. The creaking building she was presently risking her life in used to be the Hyperion Hotel and it was giving her the creeps. With her spider sense on full alert the sight of Giles tweed-clad form scuttling around below her was absurdly reassuring. She and Giles had stopped here on patrol because there'd been rumours of demon squatters here. It wasn't just a few demons, but several nests from a particularly nasty breed of fire breathing demon. She couldn't quite remember the name, it was something with too many vowels and at least one apostrophe. It was probably easier to say if you had a forked tongue. But she'd came, seen and slain and she really wanted to say adios to the cobwebs and go to the party on Ashford Avenue. 

It wasn't just the party that made her want to leave though, the hotel was dank and depressing, with rusty hinges and broken floorboards. The worst think about it was that under the sheen of grey dust there were tiny reminders that this had once been a beautiful five star hotel. In some places fragments of wall paintings hadn't faded from the walls, and you could see the details on the people's smiling faces and the exotic birds weaving their way through knotted green woods. The cherubs smiling down from the ceiling had gold gilded halos and sat on plump fluffy white clouds. Queen Anne chairs lay smashed and broken on the floors next to the slashed remains of their red velvet covers, the curtains still hung loosely from big brass curtain rings. It was disturbing that something, which so obviously had once been elegant and refined, could be vandalised and ravaged so easily. And she in her own way had contributed to the building's desecration. The demons had blackened the walls with there breath and set fire to quite a few chairs, and their bodies were now strewn over the lobby, splayed staining blood and gore into the floor boards.   
It seemed sad that if she had done exactly the same thing in the lobby of the Beverly Hills Hotel, by daybreak tomorrow no evidence would be left. But in this building, every action marked it forever, no benefactor with millions of dollars was going to pick it up and start it going again.   
"Buffy?" Giles, was standing at her shoulder, having come to fetch her when she didn't answer his calls. "Are you feeling alright?"  
"Huh? Oh Giles. Sorry, just spaced. No big." She put on a smile for her Watcher. "Are we done now. I wanna party!"  
Slightly worried by her behaviour before, a small frown settled on his face. "Are you sure Buffy, you look tired… and that'll slow your reaction times and alertness… and that could really be rather perilous."  
"That's Giles babble for; there's another big bad after me, isn't it?"   
"Well. Yes." He shook his head a wry smile on his face. "I don't know very much yet though, and since nothing terrible had happened yet. I think we have some time."  
"Giles! You just jinxed it!" Giles shrugged apologetically and gestured for her to move down the stairs out of the hotel. "And anyway why can't the bad guys go after any of the other slayers. But   
no… it's always Faith or me. It doesn't seem fair."

"It isn't Buffy, but very little in life is. Besides I'm afraid the council are rather more lax about protecting the identities of yourself and Faith compared to the other slayers. It's rather a disadvantage of being rogue."  
"It's okay Giles, sometimes back-up would be nice. But I don't want it if it means I have to follow council rules, and they'd replace you!"  
"Buffy I rather doubt you'd be able to follow council rules even if you were trying to." The bright sunlight hit the pair as they left the lot of the Hyperion, making them squint as there irises readjusted themselves. Stepping out of the shadows of the Hyperion Hotel relived some of the physical tension of being there, but the feeling of despair and isolation lingered slightly under the surface.  
  
Faith busied herself with straightening her clothes, it was a routine action that allowed her to concentrate on the slightly muffled rustling sounds behind her. They'd been following her for a while now, but they'd made no move to do anything more than that. Still she should probably go beat whatever it was up so it didn't follow her home. Besides it was starting to piss her off, and the constant sounds of unskilled tracking was putting her off her game.   
Straightening and turning to face her attackers in one smooth twisting movement she faced the source of her agitation. Swiftly she ran to the clump of bushes and trees she deduced her prey had been hiding in.  
When she reached the trees there was nothing there, but a patch of flattened grass and broken twigs. Cautiously Faith headed out of the clearing, constantly scanning the area around her for any sign of her stalkers, or how they could have escaped. The night had returned to it's normal blanket of nothing and suddenly feeling very alone Faith decided she'd check back with Wes before she finished her patrol. Sunnydale's cemeteries were far to empty for there not to be   
something going on.  
  
The Initiative was heaving, HST's were being brought in from all over Sunnydale. It was beyond strange, he'd heard from the other soldiers that even the strongest demons were barely putting up a fight before being captured. It was almost as if they, knew something bad was coming and thought they would be safe within the confines of the Initiative laboratories. The door Riley was standing guard at the entrance to 314, swung open quietly behind him and he stood a little taller as he nodded stiffly to the man in the pin-stripe suit who had just exited the room behind him. "Mr Travers." Riley addressed him. Dismissing the older man's presence almost as soon as he saw him. He was just government, they didn't know anything about the front line in demon fighting, but they were still in charge. It seemed a little ridiculous.  
The half-nod was returned, and Quentin Travers complete with official looking suitcase turned to leave. Pausing in his tracks he back-peddled and turned back to Riley. "Tell me agent…"  
"Finn." Riley supplied.  
"Agent Finn… do you prefer blondes or brunettes?"   
Riley's eyes widened for a moment as he tried to comprehend the question. He quickly noted that Travers' hair was grey and had to hold back a sigh of relief. "Uh… blonde. Sir."   
Travers nodded thoughtfully, a little smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he turned to leave. A cell phone all ready out of his pocket and in his hand.


	2. Gathering Moss

Part Two – 

//All I can commit to is maybe//

                When Faith returned to the hunt that night, Wesley insisted on accompanying her. The Watcher's council insisted that he always patrol with his Slayer, but, if it came down to it she performed rather better when he wasn't in the midst of the battle and she had the duel role of protecting him and killing the enemy. More than that Faith style was free and somewhat relied on her enthusiasm for battle, an enthusiasm that often left her unaware that there were things around her not trying to hurt her. It was a defence mechanism, probably psychologically influenced and he was slowly trying to tear it down, having her accidentally stake him wouldn't help. The pair returned to Restfield cemetery to find Faith's fan club had retired for the night.

                "Maybe they found someone else to piss off." Faith voiced matching Wes' though train.

                "I imagine they're just biding their time." Wes glared up at the star-filled sky and was almost irritated to see that not a single cloud marred his view. "Although if that is the case, one can assume that they do not have good intentions. Perhaps I should invest myself in some research." 

                "In what? Annoying stalkers of the twentieth century?" Wesley gave her a piercing glare, and she sighed. "Sorry. It's just we don't know anything about them, it's a little frustrating." 

                Any further conversation was disrupted by the distinctive clatter and muffled curses of a fight nearby. There were no screams piercing the air hinting at two possibilities: One, A skirmish between some local gangs or two, drunken pub-crawlers roaming the streets. Still the noise they were making was enough to attract the attention of the local demon population who would see drunken mobs as easy pickings. Whether the brawlers were asking for it or not, Faith had a sacred duty to protect them. 

                Faith led Wesley noiselessly through the woods alongside Restfield and into the half-darkness of the warehouse district beyond that. Industrial units were packed in together. Broken glass littered the sidewalk where a street light had been smashed. Wesley trailed after Faith his throat dry in anticipation of what they might see. He had thought, when he first applied to be a Watcher that the Fear would lesson, that the now familiar sight of bloody tracks and broken bodies would stop pulling at his heart strings and seem more like the business it was supposed to be. But it had never really worked that way and the visions that seared his inner eye were the only thing that made him want to give up his vocation, and yet compelled him to stay at the same time. 

                Faith swaggered into the warehouse block under the broken street light, giving an imperceptible visual sweep of the interior of the run down shed and Wesley half-proudly remembered teaching her that. He stood to her left and slightly behind, making it clear to those inside that she, Faith the Vampire Slayer was the boss. The motley crew of demons inside seemed unperturbed by the gesture and after a pause threw themselves back into the argument. The argument centred on a demon and a vampire in the centre, the demons around the edge could be disregarded. Their anxious stance and manner told that they knew this underworld and were easy to manipulate. 

For every few demons there was a vampire, with the flash of a red ribbon around the waist. The red ribbons were the nark of the order of Aurelius, each vampire had a collection of teeth, scales, pendants and horns, scrounged as trophies from battles past. The one with the most battle spoils was the one at the centre with probably the eldest demon staring each other off. The lead vampire wasn't particularly tall perhaps five and a half feet but the way he held himself made him infinitely more threatening to his opponent. His beaten jeans, combat boots, shirt and leather duster were all black. And except for the flash of red around his waist the only colour was a red shirt poking out from under his duster. His face was angular but not lean, the raised cheekbones matched with swept back bleached hair probably had girls rolling at his feet. 

Wesley noted Faith take in his appearance and hesitate for a fraction of a second longer than she should. He hoped she didn't find the vampire attractive emotional attachment with the enemy even if it was nothing more than lust was not to be suggested. It tended to complicate things.  

                When Buffy slipped into her dad's flat late that night the image of the ruined Hyperion Hotel flashed back to her. Her parents were divorced and now lived on opposite sides of America this rather upset the usual weekend at dad's child care arrangements. Instead they'd come up with the idea of Buffy swapping between the two every time the school system permitted. So after finishing up Junior High in Florida with her Mom, Buffy had come to Los Angeles to attend Hemery High School and stay with her Dad. It had been fine to start, not great, but she was spending more time with her Dad then she ever had before her parents had divorced. 

But then he'd left on business leaving her with the made and a full bank account, but his two weeks away had turned into three, then two months and now it had been two years and he still hadn't returned. The letters stopped as well. Maybe he had thought that she would return to Florida after a while but she couldn't shortly after he left she had been called to be the Slayer of Los Angeles, the money was slowly running out and she'd had to let the maid, Carlotta go. Though she came and visited sometimes, Buffy suspected this was to make sure she was still alive. Buffy knew that if Carlotta had ever seen the bruises and cuts left after her nightly fights, that if she had ever seen them before Buffy's super healing powers made them fade Carlotta would have called Social Services and she'd have been taken away. Buffy's ardent begging to remain where she was the only thing that stopped her sometimes.

She hated the flat any good times she'd spent there were now heavily outweighed by the visions of every day she had been alone. Giles lived here now. He'd moved in last year when he found out what had happened with her father, and she suspected Carlotta had something to do with that. The thoughts of Giles reminded her that he'd probably been worried about where she was. She was seventeen, still a minor though Giles was always bemoaning her loss of innocence to the world of darkness. That she had seen too much for a girl of her age, but it was her life, as much as she hated it.

"Buffy?" Giles asked, he'd been sitting in a dark corner of the room watching as she stood still by the door for fully five minutes. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine." Giles said nothing more about it but she could tell he was worried, her silent reveres had become worse lately and there was little he could do about it. 

"Your brother called."

"Doyle?" Her face lit up. "Did he say where he was?"

"You know he can't. It's safer for him to be isolated from you, the council…" The council. The Watchers council had decided that her disobedience was not in fact due to their rules being ridiculously stupid but her half-demon elder brother. They were related on her father's side, her Father having gotten a women pregnant while engaged to her mother and then abandoning the women and his son denying any knowledge of the affair when it had all been dragged up during the divorce. His problem was that Joyce Summers had known for a long time about the other child, and had in fact been skimming his wages and help raise the child with the other mother, a woman who used to be his secretary called Colette. Truthfully he hadn't known of the child's existence, having paid Colette to have an abortion but Colette's morals hadn't allowed her to, and she'd quit her job to hide the child. Buffy never knew why her mother hadn't left her father earlier given what she knew, but she suspected it was because of herself. Whatever the stories behind it all Buffy was extremely glad Colette hadn't gone ahead with the abortion and Buffy had Doyle.

"He said he had a vision, a demon on demon fight near Éire Shaor." Besides the fact that Doyle's mother was a demon, he had other secrets, even Buffy didn't know some of them, but one was that he was a messenger for the Powers that Be receiving visions of things she was supposed to know about. Doyle hated the visions, receiving them gave him migraines and he was only half demon, he thought she didn't know but someday the damage to his brain would be irreparable. 

"Demon on demon? Surely it's easier to just let them kill each other." She replied curtly.

"Buffy, if Doyle had a vision of it then it's important that you are there." Giles half-heartedly scolded her. He couldn't help it, he was as frustrated as she was by the way the forces of darkness in LA seemed more unstoppable than ever, an endless stream of unforeseen evil. "We'd best deal with this quickly."

"School tomorrow. I know." She gave him a short smile before turning to unlock the door again. Giles followed her out and she locked it before starting down the corridor while Giles attempted to start a conversation about her night out. 

Inside the empty flat a single lamp light still burned. 


	3. Eire Shaor

Part Three –

_//It wasn't supposed to be like this. Another dose of unhappiness//_

"Spike?" Faith questioned, then shook her head mockingly. "I thought we had an agreement. You stayed quiet and I didn't end your un-life."

"I didn't break the rules, luv." Casually he flicked a long lighter out of his sleeve and lit up. The lighter sent up noticeably more flame than usual and the demon next to him, who had been nervously glancing between the Slayer and Spike had to dodge as Spike idly flicked an arch of flame his way. 

               "Rules?" Wesley interceded, studying his charge carefully for any signs of remorse of her involvement with the blonde vampire. 

               "It's more an agreement Watcher." Spike answered before Faith could. "Your pet slayer here doesn't go around staking any order of Aurelius vamps, and I make sure they don't kill anyone." He took a long drag from his cigarette and blew the smoke out of his nostrils like a sleeping dragon. "That's how it used to be anyway. Now, We'll see."

               "What?" Faith asked coolly her eyes narrowing cruelly, with a calculated swagger she sauntered over to Spike and plucked the smoke out of his hand, and with exaggerated care ground it into the cement floor. "No one changes the rules Spikey. *That's* what we agreed."

               "Angelus is back from San Francisco, and he's the Master vampire for the whole of California. He's got a purer blood-line, there's nothing to be done."

               "I'm sure you could." She didn't even need to raise a conspiring eyebrow, her jet eyes told him exactly what she meant. 

               "He's my sire." He told her firmly. "I'm not staking him." He shook his head a slight grin etched across his face. "Even if I did, Dru's got higher claim than me, and Penn's older. Dru's in no position to be in charge and Penn… he'd wreak bloody mayhem around here." His voice was an angry tone of bitterness, he seemed unaware of the combined forces of darkness around him and instead concentrated solely on Faith. It was something Wesley, a spectator to the events, found increasingly disturbing. Spike spoke with increasing maliciousness towards his sire and order; this crime in vampire law was punishable be death, in extremely painful ways. Spike was signing his death warrant and he was unperturbed by it.

               "You want me to discuss terms with the new master?"

               "You want an agreement?" Another cigarette appeared from no where. "Go with the blonde chit to Crawford Street. Angelus' got a thing for blonde's."

               "Absolutely not. Sending two slayers into a master vampire lair is preposterous." Wesley almost yelped in shock that such a thing could be suggested. His words seemed to do nothing more than remind the pair of his presence and they took a step away from each other. 

               "Spike…" One of the vampires on Spike's right stepped closer and whispered into Spike's ear, Spike stared sightlessly at the wall and as soon as the hushed hurried words had run their course the pitch dark eyes were riveted back on the scaled demon in front of him. The demon sensing he'd just entered the limelight drew himself up to his true height. Bad posture had curved his back and gave the comical impression of a squashed giant. The dirty yellow skin was covered in a haphazard combination of denim and suede. It could possibly be called a cowboy style but the dusty black cowboy hat looked more like it had been stolen from a musical than the Wild West. The Cats T-shirt confirmed this. 

               "Dalton here has just informed me that not only have you been disobeying the rules but that one of our Aurelius' boys went missing last night."

               "The rules… Angelus…" The demon stuttered trying to save face in front of his men and stay alive too.

               "This has nothing to do with Slayer rules and you know it." He slowly circled the demon eyes constantly pinned on him, searching for weakness. A great lion closing in on his pray. "I'm talking Aurelius' rules, trade of preternatural items is taxed. You know that, I told you the first time." He finally stopped pacing his victim and settled on a position face to face and very close to the demon. "Angelus' wants an example made, and lucky for me. It's you." The demon shifted his balance and started lifting his fists to fight. Before his wrists had passed his waist he had fallen to the ground, and the five fatal slashing wounds carved a bloody path across his chest. The vampires closed in.

               Unnoticed in the confusion, Faith and Wesley slipped out.

               Éire Shaor was closed when Buffy and Giles arrived there, it was close to four in the morning and the lights in the entire shopping centred district were off. With trading hours over the dim glow of the streetlights barely gave enough light to walk at more than a slow shuffle. With nothing more than "near Éire Shaor" from Doyle Buffy had to rely almost totally on her slayer senses to guide her to the supposed demon versus demon match she was supposed to do "something" about. With the amount of times she'd found Doyle wandering the streets round this particular Irish style-pub you'd have thought he would have at least been able to recognise the alley she was supposed to be at. It wasn't Doyle's fault the visions were so vague she knew, but it seemed more and more like the Powers That Be wanted them to lose, given how little information they gave them. About anything. 

               A piercing triple beep came from Giles and Buffy whipped around the sound startling to her hyper strong slayer senses. He pulled out his cell and frowned at it for a moment before locating the correct button to answer the call.

               "Hello?" A slight smile crossed his face as he recognised the voice at the other end of the line. "Yes she's just - No." Turning away from Buffy he traced a path through the muddy streets with a toe. Rolling her eyes Buffy blocked him out and resettled her nerves to try and track the fight again. Focusing on the background noises, a rat scuttling through the wall beside her, the light hum of traffic on the freeway far away, and there. A muffled thump and a sharp intake of breath. Alley number two. 

               Pleased Buffy set off, eyes still closed she let her ears guide her feet one hand lightly brushing against the dirty brick wall beside her to keep her balance. The fight was much louder now, so that her human instincts began there programmed escape route search. Ducking into the over hang on one side of the alley her eyes scanned the area taking in every detail. Each possible weapon, hiding place and blind spot, satisfied that there were no hidden dangers she turned her attention to the demons themselves. There was nothing particularly special about them, but one of them had the same pineapple spikes as Doyle, A Brakken. They were normally peaceful, to see one so openly brawling in the street was suspicious to say the least. Still if she couldn't see the trap, she'd just have to spring it. 

               As soon as Buffy entered the street she was down, swallowed by a never-ending blanket of darkness.

//"I'm drunk…"  Buffy muttered and tried to pull herself up from her seat, her companion next to her turned his attention to her, and for a moment she saw nothing but his face, dark brown hair set in lose touchable spikes, and brown eyes so deep she was drowning in them. 

_"So'm I." He laughed and they somehow managed to get themselves up leaving a few notes of the table, there might have been a hundred dollars there or three. Everything in her vision in swooping circles that would settle like leaves on an Fall day before being whipped up in a mini-tornado, and sending her reeling again. But his image stayed clear, like in had been burned on her memory for a thousand years to come. They stumbled over the steps and into the alley beside the club, and her flushed skin was pushed up against the brick wall, and cool breath played with her senses at the nape of her neck._

_"Angelus…"// _


	4. Rain

AN: I'm really, really sorry about how long it has taken me for this part to get out, but RL has sucked as of late. I regret to say it but I can't promise it won't happen again… however it should definitely be a shorter time before part five comes out. I had a sort of phobia about writing Angelus, and now I've done some hopefully it won't be so bad. 

Anyway, I hope this is worth the wait!!

Part Four-

//You stand like a stone, alone in your zone//

            An incessant ringing woke Wesley from his dreams, he stretched massaging his muscles, twisted from the few hours of uncomfortable sleep he had managed to snatch in the sofa. The book on his lap fell to the floor with a resonating thud, that echoed in his sleep muddled brain, and he absently swept it up before answering the phone.

            "Hello?"

            "Wes? Buffy's gone!" Giles voice came full throttle down the phone.

            "Gone where exactly?" Wesley replied aware that Giles was concerned, but also safe in the knowledge that teenagers went missing. After the first few times Faith had gone walkabout he'd come to understand she needed it. If she didn't have the opportunity to take a break he'd have lost her long ago.

            "I don't know." Giles replied in a long hiss. "We were patrolling last night, I got a call and she went ahead. I searched the whole area and there is not a trace of her anywhere." Wes' sympathy toward him grew, there had always been a slight animosity between the two, Wesley having been less inclined to give up council doctrine than Giles. "Is she there?"

            "No. Faith tried to get hold of her, uh, yesterday, but couldn't get through." Wesley flipped the book he was still holding back shut and went to put it back on the bookshelf when he remembered why he'd taken it down. He sat down at the desk and flicked the book open and rifled through the pages until he came across what he was looking for. It was a portrait of a man, mid twenties perhaps, whose tailored clothes and lightly defined cheekbones, screamed aristocracy. But the wry expression that crossed his lips and the danger that danced in his eyes, masked any gentleman like manners the man had once had, brow furrowed in the mask of vampire he was an astute and animalistic warrior. In curled script at the bottom of the page was penned 'Angelus, Scourge of Europe'.

            "Wesley?" Giles' voice woke Wesley from his reverie. "You know I hate to admit it, but in this situation you know more than I and-"

            "Have you every heard of Angelus?" 

There was a pregnant pause. "No." Giles paused again. "Why?"

Wesley voiced his fears.

 The rain was falling in sheets now, and Faith couldn't see into the dark through the window of the dingy diner that sat resolutely on the corner, between the cemeteries and Willy's. It had managed to stay open since the fifties, although Faith could only guess at how, the vampire population had slowly picked off nearly all of its regulars. Even the brave few that would battle the daytime hazards of going any where near Willy's, would always find themselves ready to leave at quarter to sun down. The diner filled up with demons after that, though the managers couldn't know it.

Faith went there sometimes to think, when she was a kid she had had a job washing dishes in a diner just like this. Though the money had gone straight to her mom, standing on a tub arms shoulder deep in bubbles had always made her feel like she was helping somehow, it made her feel… needed. Now all she had to do was to be in a diner where the workers told jokes across the fryers and sang to the radio, the noisy clink of plates and the low buzz of chatter. It was fake she supposed places like it weren't supposed to exist, there wasn't a bar where you could leave your troubles at the door. But while she was there picking at French fries and watching the rain, she could pretend they weren't hers for a while.

She sat there for another half-hour then paid her check, and walked out into the rain.

 It was an hour later when Faith was finally ushered into the great hall of the Crawford Street Mansion, it had mostly been fear that had kept her on the street outside for so long. Before she'd taken the final step to plunge herself into the darkness of the house she'd seen the first pink rays of dawn arriving, and was shamefully comforted that at last this night was over, even in her activities weren't. 

She saw Spike first, stretched out on a chaise lounge, cocky grin ever-present. Angelus was facing the fire, the flickering light from the flames emphasised the imposing structure of his height and build, and his black ensemble reflected into everything around him, so that even the warm dancing tongues of the fire seemed menacing behind him. 

"Angelus." He waited for a minute before he replied to Faith's guide, an infuriating bone-crunching minute that made her skin crawl with fear and her eyes burn with anger. He was so arrogant, to keep a slayer waiting when she should be death incarnate in his eyes. When he did turn she saw his face for the first time, and he was beautiful, pale alabaster skin and lightly spiked hair so dark it was almost black. He would have been stunningly attractive but for his eyes What she supposed were normally chocolate brown irises were streaked with black and dark shadows hung under his eyes. He looked so angry… and worried. 

"Where is she?" He growled, his vampire face flashed into vision then his human mask returned in such quick succession she wasn't sure if she'd really seen it or not. She backed away as he paved toward her, there was none of the calm sophistication she'd expected, he was really angry about something, and that something appeared to be Buffy. She shot a quick glance at Spike on the chaise lounge, he'd sat up at least, but didn't seen in any particular hurry to save her.

"I don't know."

The vampire mask flickered in and out of her view again, and he made as though to pounce on her. The move was sloppy though, and she dealt him a snap kick to the jaw, for a split second she thought of pursuing the fight but as soon as Angelus hit the ground he span back up and started raining blows on Spike instead. She ran. 

Her flushed skin was pushed up against the brick wall, and cool breath played with the senses at the nape of her neck.

"Angelus…" Buffy shifted in her sleep and one hand trailed a path down the cool wall beside her, her head lolled to one side and then with sudden urgency slammed back into the cot below her. As the pain ricochet around her sleep addled brain she murmured "Angelus". 

"The drugs are wearing off." A voice bellowed around her, it was too loud, so very loud… the thought trailed off before she could work out what it meant and she rolled again in the bed. The dreams were gone now, but she didn't know what the hell was going on, who the voices around her belonged to, and where importantly where she was. Maybe she was in hospital. The thought made every muscle in her body tense, her spine contracting so fast it hurt. She forced her muscles to relax to be into a better defensive position. She opened her eyes slowly letting her eyes get used to the harsh sterile light before fully opening them. 

The vision the greeted her was not pleasant, the walls were the same sterile white as the hospitals she frequented and the floors was cool linoleum. Across from her stood a tall man in army fatigues. 

"Hey baby." He began to saunter towards her and she jumped up instantly stumbling slightly against her confused brain, her reflexes were dulled and reaction's slowed. But not that slow. She stood still, her stature the picture of loose guardedness, ready to defend herself. He was in front of her now and she could see he wasn't really a man, more of a boy only a few years older than herself with dirty blonde hair that hung in a style which had so graciously left the fashion scene a few years before. Apparently he hadn't got the memo. He kept walking towards her until she her calves were pressed against the cool metal of the cot behind her, she could feel his heavy breath on her hair and she felt a freezing shiver rattle up her spine. His hand came up and stroked her cheek in rough circles. Lowering his head to her ear he whispered "C'mon baby, time to tango." Buffy snapped.

She slammed her knee upward and dealt him a crushing blow to the knee that sent him sprawling backward to the floor. She rushed to the door and four more khaki green men barrelled into the room. Buffy gave a whip-kick to the first stomach and he stumbled into the one behind sending them both tumbling down. The other two men  grabbed her by each arm and she executed a perfect manoeuvre kicking both at the same time and twisting out of their grip before landing in a crouching position on the floor. As she stretched out to sprint out of the still open door the hand of the first soldier gripped her ankle pulling her to the ground. She fell, and as she felt the cool steel of a needle entering her arm she surrendered again to the darkness.  

TBC

AN2: If you want to ask me a question I'll send the reply from halfevilkids@yahoo.com because my hotmail account doesn't seem to want me to compose emails, but please send the replies to weasyannagirlfriend@hotmail.com, or post a review on fanfiction.net as usual if you want to contact me. Which would be nice… though I don't deserve it for taking so long to write this!


	5. Shadows

AN: Present for you! I was somewhat shocked to discover that people were still reading this even after my long siesta, so I was inspired to write the next part very quickly, and voila here it is! Enjoy!

Oh yes, I was told that some of the background's a bit confusing, which is perfectly true, But this is so AU there's loads to explain, and I'm doing it a bit at a time.There's quite a lot in this part for you.

Special thanks to my reviewers especially FadingShadows I'm really well amazed and flattered mostly that you think so highly of this, and Kirina, Rusty Wings are coming!

Part Five-

//I've been hurt, so confused, I've been burned, are you already over me?//

            A day had slowly rolled by under a hot August sun, the rain that had been falling in steadily for the past two days lay in dull paddles scattered across the streets. Buffy still hadn't been found and despite Wes' assurances that she'd just taken off for a few days, he couldn't believe it. Part of him held onto the belief that no matter how bad it got she'd make it through, and it hadn't been too bad lately. She hadn't been happier, but she hadn't been happy in a long time, the school hadn't called in a while, but then it was possible she just didn't go anymore. Giles was scared, scared that maybe there had been some unforeseen circumstances that he just hadn't seen, something nothing to do with demons. The problem was Giles could deal with demons, he and Buffy fought them, and then they were dead and you went onto the next, but he couldn't fight the emotions that he'd watched slowly creep over Buffy since the day they met. He had to find her, so at least he'd know, that the shadows hadn't beaten her yet. The shadows would take over one day, unless he could find a way to stop them.  

            There was something more too, he'd known as soon as Wes had mentioned it. Angelus, Scourge of Europe, a few weeks before Giles had had to pick Buffy up from hospital. She had refused point blank to tell him what had happened but the bandage told him what he needed to know. Since then she'd kept crying out *his* name in her sleep. She was… fascinated by the vampire. Carlotta had found all the books on the order of Aurelius under Buffy's bed when cleaning. Something about it scared Giles more than he could fathom, Buffy was literally dancing with death, and she wanted it. 

             Faith had called and said Angelus wouldn't talk to him without Buffy there, so he doubted that Angelus had got a hold of her, he could just be trying to put them off the trail of course, so he'd asked Faith to keep an eye on him. It wasn't enough though he had to do something. Giles stopped his relentless pacing around the streets of Los Angeles next to a pay phone. Slotting a few coins in he dialled the one number that he's hoped never to call again.

            "Hello, this is the Watcher's Council head branch, whom should I direct you call to?"

            "Quentin Travers."

            Spike shoved Faith against the wall and pinned her there with his frame, he dragged one hand through her hair and let the other sit at her waist rubbing the bare skin there. Their tongues duelled for control in a fiery dance. Pulling away to let her breath he began working at his belt, Faith's hand closed around his and pulled his hands away. Spike met her eyes exasperated and painfully aware of their position.

            "Faith…" She grinned wickedly and shook her head.

            "Nuh-uh. We have to look for Buffy." She smiled again, and buckled his belt for him, before flicking her hair over her shoulder led him away.

            "You've got to be sodding kidding me. I'm not doing it." Spike retorted, feet planted firmly in the ground like a stubborn two-year-old.

            "You ever want to get in my pants again, you'll come help." And with that Faith disappeared around the corner leaving only a cloud of hormones behind her. 

            Spike took a full thirty seconds to make up his mind, he chased her round the corner, leather duster whipping behind him, she'd turned to face him and her face split into the same smile she always had when she got things her way. As if in slow motion her legs gave way below her and she collapsed into a crumpled heap in the road. Spike didn't even have time to take another step before he felt it electricity pouring into him in a tidal wave of pain. A moment later he joined Faith.

            "Angelus" Buffy murmured and twisted in he sleep the coarse sheets had caught around her chest and each movement she made pulled them tighter, and made it harder to breathe. She pulled in a harsh ragged breath, straining against the sheets for a moment before falling back onto the cot. The movement broke her from her dreams and she sat up panting heavily. She struggled with the rough sheets and pulled them from her body. Someone had changed her into a plain white hospital gown and her skin crawled at the thought of the soldiers touching her. She closed her eyes and fought back tears. She collapsed back onto the cold floor of her cell and stared unseeing at the glass door across from her. 

            "Blondie!" A voice called at her, dumbly Buffy looked up to see a bleached blonde vampire sitting across from her, it took her a moment to realise he was in fact sitting behind a glass door like her own. "Slayer."

            She thought about replying but completely failed to come up with a witty come back line, something about the bland grey and white of the world she now lived in drained it all out, she had nothing left but… dreams. "Yes." She eventually replied, stone faced. 

            "You've met Angelus?"

            The pain flooded back and she let it wash over her, though she didn't cry. "Yes."

            "And you're still alive." The vamp started patting his pockets as though searching for something. He stopped and gazed straight into her eyes. "So you're her. The one that got away."

            "Perhaps." Buffy began to say more then stopped, then started again. "Who are you?"

            "Spike." He stood up and began searching through his trouser pockets as well; Spike was the image of a Sex Pistols groupie, black jeans, shirt and leather duster. A shock of red around his waist his only colouring. On closer inspection she could see small trophies hanging off his belt and she shuddered at the idea of pulling body parts of defeated foes. She had always been grateful that vampires turned dust when she staked them. No muss, no fuss. His swept back and bleached hair along with the harsh lighting made his face gaunt and hollow. He looked dead. Which logically he was, but it still seemed much more unnerving than the normal dead uglies she saw. 

            "Oh. Faith told me about you."

            "Well you can bloody well tell her to get me out of here, I was looking for *you* and now I'm stuck in here and they've stolen my bloody fags." Spike had shifted to his furrowed vampire face and threw himself against the door of his cell in an angry fit of full vampire strength. The door didn't even move. Hands clenched in fists at either side of his face he leant his forehead against the glass. "Angelus is looking for you." Buffy said nothing her brain slowly processing that fact the drugs had muffled her senses, and her head hurt whenever she tried to think straight. "He sent us all out looking for you, said he'd kill me very, very slowly if I came back without you."

            "I left." She whispered slowly so quiet he mightn't have been able to hear him, but for his preternatural hearing. Spike slid to the floor and leant against his door.

            "What happened?" 

            "I was at a club, in Los Angeles. I was pretty drunk…"

            "Vodka. The forgiver of all sins." Spike interceded, and gave a short laugh. Buffy smiled her own week smile, he was right. Sometimes she didn't want to know what she was doing.

            "I don't remember much." She shifted her own position to mimic his and sat propped up by the wall and door staring into her room. "But I met him, and he was… amazing. We were kissing outside and he bit me. I didn't try to stop him but... Then, I don't know. I woke up in the hospital. The nurse said he'd left a message that he'd come and collect me later. But I rang up Giles and got him to get me instead. I was scared I suppose." Buffy stared blindly at the wall in front of her running the cloth of the gown she wore through her fingers again and again in a never-ending cycle. "I didn't know why he didn't kill me." Tears welled in her eyes. "I kept wishing he had."

TBC

Hmm. Maybe not the most cheerful present… but Buffy has depression for all of BtVS (except randomly part of S4 – anyone else a lil bit confused by that?) so she has it here too. You'll just have to wait and see what happens with that… 'cos I'm not telling! 

Weasy

Hotmail is still spastic so replies to reviews sent to either weasyannagirlfriend@hotmail.com or

halfevilkids@yahoo.com will be replied to from yahoo. 


	6. Drowning Angels

Voila: Part 6! It's rather long but I'm sure you won't mind.

I've debating whether to say this or not, but it's bothering me and hopefully I'll feel better once I've said it. This is my twist on this challenge, and so everything I write is part on my personal interpretation of BtVS, because this is fanfiction and it can't not be. So if you don't like this story then just stop reading it and say nothing more, I have nothing against constructive criticism, in fact I beg you to tell me how to make this better but if you have nothing constructive to say please don't say it. 

On the other hand I'm extremely grateful for the number of fans I have of this fic for sending me there encouragement, it's definitely making this progress faster… and I'll try and sort out Angelus… he's just escaping me at the moment. Special kudos goes to: kirina, 

Oh yes this part contains a little bit of speech borrowed from the episode 'The Initiative' Just because it fitted and I didn't see much point in changing it. Anyway, I was working from a transcript by umm… actually don't speak French so if this makes any sense to anyone credit to who it says credit to: "Scénario: Doug Petrie, Réalisation: James A.Contner, Original English Copyright (c) 1999 Jillian Tatterton Visit the site: . I got it from Psyche anyway. 

Weasy

Part Six-

//Now the rain is falling slow, and the nights grow long, and the train, cries out so hauntingly, she is gone//

                   Giles left the safety of the rooms the Council had provided for him and started to pace the streets of London, the alley the safe house was on led to a small park. It had been beautiful in the day a quiet little village green in the middle of a crowded city, but in the brittle wind and driving rain it felt like the California graveyards. Cold and dark couldn't sum it up in the centre there was nothing but rolling miles of grass there were no streetlights except by the entrances and the occasional sculpted border or lake was a black mark on the horizon. The central gazebo rose like a tomb, reigning over the gardens. The statue of an angel it covered was overgrown with moss and ivy, it's hands which had been raised to the sky in exaltation were now grasping at the air to save the fallen angel from drowning in the earth that threatened to overcome it. 

                   Lost in thought, it took almost five minutes to realise he was not alone there. A feeling he couldn't describe came over him, it was a terrible sense of importance not self-importance but of what was happening around him, and that he was meant to be there, listening in. 

                   "Willow, don't feel bad." The hushed voices where coming from the stone summer houses next to one of the more secluded ponds and the running water made it difficult for Giles to hear. He crept forward and found a hiding place where he could hear and see the clandestine meeting without being seen. 

                   "How can I not?" Willow returned and the man made some scuffling noises moving around to envelop the small female in a hug, but she pushed him away. "The council used me Xander!" she stifled a sob and he couls practically feel the anger building in her, more than that Giles could practically taste the magic building in her veins. This petite woman had power beyond his own, perhaps. No. He couldn't interrupt this event, he had a very strong feeling that if he did things would only got worse. 

                   "The council are the good guys remember? You know that what we're doing is for the best. You saved that Slayer's life! While she's in the Initiative the council can help her shake off the thrall the vampire has on her."

                   "No! You don't understand. I could see what they were doing to her how much pain they were putting her through, I could feel it. And I locked her in there, I used a masking spell to incarcerate her underground with scitzo scientists… the pain it's overwhelming I wanted to die it hurt so much."

                   "Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind." Xander replied, he was angry there was none of the kindness there had been in his voice, he took and step back from Willow, into the lee of the summer house, and Giles could barely see him anymore. "Those demons, vampires she was associating with… she's sick… the scientists can help her. Come on Willow, you're the clever one there scientists for a reason!"

                   "There scientists because they passed some exams! It has nothing to do with anything, they're so cold so cruel. They don't know what they're doing that can't mix magic and science!" She was crying now her voice hitching noisily with very breath and broken sob. "She's bound to a vampire and they're trying to break the bond with science."

                   "Let them! She can't be tied to a filthy vampire for the rest of her life!"

                   "She will be! She doesn't have a choice, if that bond is broken she'll be worse than dead a living corpse, an insane slayer, Xander. Understand this if you refuse to feel for her. If they break than bond her power will be insurmountable, and she'll use it to hurt everyone who ever hurt her. They'll see then, what they've done. If you won't help her, you'll see too."  Willow's pathetic sniffling ended abruptly and the tone of the girl's voice distorted out of recognition, it was hollow and empty. Even from Giles distance from the girl he could see the changes in her, her very self seemed to grow darker and yet brighter even against the night behind her. "'The fires will burn around the twisted wrecks of time until the very end, and at that moment the death-bringer will turn away from the saviours and all those that tried to crush the fire within them. Because the soldiers have no weakness they are weak and the fire in the death-bringer died but is roaring, death and life and within it and it will not let them pass over, but they will live in their pain forever. For the end is never nigh, and is always present.'" Giles drew in a sharp breath as the proclamation was over the tiny girl collapsed breathing heavily on the floor of the summer house and the boy drew her close to him, trying to pull her up and help her walk. 

                   "Willow, come on we have to move, they'll be coming now." She didn't respond and the boy shook her harder and cast furtive glances around them. "Willow!" he hissed and she finally grunted a response. Giles let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding as he watched them stumble away into the inky blackness of the night. 

Spike was pacing the tight confines of his cell, Buffy was still asleep having just returned from wherever her latest torture session had taken place. He could smell her magic slayer blood wasting on the floor of his cell and it was driving him insane with hunger. When a sachet of blood feel from the ceiling he started at it for fully five minutes before reaching out to touch it. He couldn't quite work out if the bag of B positive in front of him was a hallucination from lack of blood. When the bad didn't pass through his fingers and vanish Spike seized it and vamped out to eat from it.

"Don't drink it. It's drugged." A voice across the hall warned and he looked across to see a gangly vampire seating in the cell next to Buffy's. Throwing the pack down in frustration he turned and glared at the fledging who had spoken to him.

"Uh-huh and who are you mate?" He demanded.

"I'm a rat. I'm a lab rat, just like the others. They're gonna kill us, you know." For a moment Spike saw visions of Drusilla her insane that babble that always made sense afterwards.

"And how are they gonna do that?" Spike question, there was no sense scaring the boy yet, not till he knew all he could.

"They starve you. When you're ready to bite your own arm, they shoot out one of those packets. You drink, and the next thing, you're gone. And that's when they do the experiments." 

"And, uh, they are? The government? Nazis? A major cosmetics company?" 

"Who cares? All I know is, one minute I'm running from the slayer, And the next thing, I'm here."

"Looks your luck turned for the worse, Slayers your new neighbour." A look of fear crossed the vampires face and then he straightened defiantly. Spike had to give him credit for his balls. But it wasn't getting him anywhere. "She's the master's now, I have to get her out of here, if you help I'll get you out too."

"And if I don't?" 

"Angelus'll rip you limb from limb." The vampire made up his mind remarkably quickly. 

Spike lay on the floor unconscious, Beside him the sachet of blood was empty. Buffy watched as two lab coated men let down the shield for his cage, they grabbed him by the lapels of his leather coat and it occurred to Buffy through her drug muddled mind that Spike would be very cross if they damaged his coat. The scientists dragged him onto a wheeled hospital bed. They started to pull thick leather straps over him when Spike's hand shot up, and with his eyes still closed he pinned the man in a crushing grip around his throat.

"Sorry, can't stay." Spike quipped  before jumping off the gourney. The other man tried to rush him but Spike grabbed his outstretched arm and used his momentum to flip him over and he continues to roll in a broken fall to the ground, Spike jumped after the man. Revelling in the fight and was slammed into one of the electric walls by the man. 

The vampire inside paced agitatedly by the entrance to his cell. "Let me out!" He demanded

"Bit busy right now." Spike grunted and threw the man off him and into the other scientist who accidentally stabbed him in the neck with a syringe he had been preparing presumable for Spike. The man gave his friend a surprised look before collapsing to the floor unconscious. The second scientist tried to run away scared but Spike was back before he had a chance, and a second later the man's neck was broken. For a moment it occurred to Buffy she should have felt something after witnessing the death of the scientist but she could feel nothing. 

Spike hurriedly pulled everything out of the pockets of the dead man and grabbed the security card from the contents. Jumping up he shoved the key into the lock on the other vampire's door. The door opened with a smooth click and the vampire ran out and hopped impatiently from one foot to another while Spike turned to Buffy's door. Shoving the key into the lock into Buffy's door he reached in the cell to grab her from inside. But his hand was met by the electric force field. Jumping away he took in the alarms that had roared around him.

"Sorry Buffy, I'll back." Spike told her before he ran after the other vampire. They run down the hall and quickly ran under the closing security door. When they ran into the next room they were met by an entourage of commando soldiers.

"New plan! We split up. You go that way" Spike shoved the vampire into the commandos and fled down the other corridor whipping around the complex's corridor's lead by instinct only. 

                   The next day Giles sat in Travers' office, drinking a cup of tea and idly discussed the British weather. Buffy had once asked him why only British people discussed the weather and he told her that only British people *had* weather. That certainly wasn't true, the last week since Buffy had gone missing had thrown a mountain of extreme weather at California, it was though nature itself missed her presence. 

                   "Giles. You could at least pretend you are listening." Travers reprimanded him, and although Giles had been relived of his duties to the man the year before he still felt guilty for behaving improperly, irrational though it was. Inside him Ripper growled to be released and teach Quentin respect for the way he was intensifying his pain. But if the stifling bureaucracy of the Council was the only way to find Buffy that was the path he would take. 

                   "Sorry." He mumbled. "Perhaps we could start a location spell for Buffy?"

                   "Of course." Quentin eyed him for a moment as though he was going to say more then changed his mind. Pressing an intercom button on his desk he spoke into a handset. "Please send the shaman through, Margaret." He leaned back in his chair and a robbed figure came into the room. The shaman's sex was disguised under the thick lengths of robe but the figure seemed to be too small to be a man. The shaman said nothing just nodded to Quentin before moving over to the round table in the centre of the room. Giles had risen when the Shaman came into the room and Travers did so now, drawing the blinds across the thick office windows in the room. Now that the blinds were closed and the room was cloaked in darkness the shaman pulled down their hood. And Giles was startled to realise it was the woman he'd seen the night before. She looked young, probably still in her late teens, and a screen of dark red hair framed her delicate face. Despite her youth she seemed unnerved by the task demanded of her and pulled out the ingredients required for a location spell and began to set it up without being asked. 

                   Two vials were pulled from the small collection she had set up to her right. She held one in her right hand, it contained red sand, and the one in her left hand contained black sand. She whispered something under her breath and the corks stopping the vials eases themselves out and graceful settled with the rest of the ingredients. Willow used the vials to simultaneous pour the sand out into the table in a circle, her right hand travelled clockwise and her left anti-clockwise, until there was two perfect circles on the table. She put the vials down, and the corks automatically floated up to stopper them. She picked up another vial, this time filled with white sand. With this she drew six vertical lines in the circle, all the same height and width. That vial was put away in turn. The only item left to her right was a single leather pouch and she tipped the contents into the palm of her hand. The sand that sat in her palm was much finer than that she had used before but was a mix of the same three primal colours: red, black and white. Willow stood still for a moment chanting a mantra under her breath and the magic that he had seen flow in her the day before same over her again turning her hair a fraction darker again. Giles watched with bated breath as she blew the sand out of the palm of her hand and onto the circle in front of her, her eyes snapping open as she did so. She looked Giles straight in the eye as she did so and he saw the recognition there. She lowered her eyes, as though in shame, Giles followed her eyes and saw that the sand had scattered randomly over the circle. The spell had failed. 

                   "I'm sorry." Willow spoke for the first time and gathering her things before practically ran from the room. 

                   "She's young." Quentin intoned breaking Giles from his reverie, "perhaps if I got an older Shaman to do the spell we could-"

                   "No." Giles replied, surprising himself, as much as Quentin. "She did the spell perfectly. If it didn't work then her location is being hidden by magic or she is dead."

                   "Then we can't help you." Travers replied coolly.

                   "No. I will return to America and continue to search for her there, I've had some inspiration whilst I was in England, I have an idea of where to look." Giles turned and picking up his coat left to go to America. He didn't call Travers on his involvement with Buffy's kidnap, that he knew the spell wouldn't work and that even more importantly he knew where they had taken her. The confrontation could wait until he had found Buffy alive and then? Then Ripper would come out to play. 


	7. Conditions

Part Seven-

//this is torture this is pain it feels like I'm gunna go insane I hope your coming back real soon 'cos I don't know what to do//

                   Faith was sitting on a crypt in Restfield Cemetery when Spike came bowling headlong into the clearing, jumping up from her position she rushed toward him. Her visual assessment as he came toward her told her he wasn't too badly hurt, but he was favouring his left leg and blood trickled from a cut above his eye. A ragged tear in his shirt suggested he had been shot. Faith drew in a breath anxious for her vampire, more than she thought it was possible.

                   "Spike? Where've… what happened to you?" 

                   Spike shot a look behind him and drew himself up next to her, "I found her. Sodding bint." He patted his pockets anxiously then growled in frustration. "Got a smoke? They took my bloody cigarettes."

                   "No." She noticed that he was still watching the trees around them and gestured for them to start walking, she let him lead them but she knew where they were headed. "Who's they?" 

                   "Lab guys, commando guys. I don't know *scientists* you'd call them. The boss was a cruel bitch, I could smell Buffy's blood the whole time I was there." 

                   "Buffy?" Faith quickened her pace unconsciously, she had to see Wes as soon as possible which meant the detour to Angelus with Spike had better be quick. 

                   "Who's you think I was talking about? She can't handle all the drugs they're filling her up with. She's dying in there." At this the pair started to run.

                     Giles stood in the very empty Crawford Street mansion, the entrance hall was huge, the ceiling at least three stories above her and the dark of the night combined with the lack of light inside the building made it impossible to see more than fifty metres around him. Two swooping staircases sat on either side of the hall and doors led off in random patterns down pitch dark corridors. He supposed it was meant to be intimidating the pure hollowness inside. It felt like he'd entered the devils lair, but who said Angelus was the devil?

                   Angelus was reclining in a chair across from him and they stared each other down for a moment. Eventually Angelus stood and crossed to meet Giles in the centre of the room, moonlight let in by the open door scattered across his face for the first time and Giles saw the vampire for the fast time. Half of his face was hidden in shadow but the pale skin that was revealed seemed gaunt and cold. The deadly, playful smirk he wore in all the pictures was gone replaced by hollow frown. And his eyes were deader than those of any vampire he'd ever seen they were almost totally black and the normal spark in the corner of every persons eyes was nearly swallowed by it. "She's not here." He spoke.

                   "I know. But I know who's got her." Giles replied there was no time wasting time on formalities. "and I can't save her. Not on my own."

                   "Why are you asking me? Surely your beloved council will save her?" He growled and paced angrily towards Giles. "They've torn her to shreds all ready, why are you letting them do it again?"

                   "I'm asking you because you're the only one who can save her! I don't want you near her, but she's dying without you, the witch could see it. I know you don't love her. You can't have to have bonded with her and left her alone to die. But please save her now."

                   Angelus stood stock still as though considering the offer. "Only if you let her stay with me. You've been keeping her from me, she fought the bond to stay with you, because of her duty."

                   "I… with two conditions I'll agree." Giles steeled himself for Angelus' response, and went on when he was greeted with a short nod. "You don't turn her, even if she wants you too. And second after a year she can leave if she wants." He wasn't sure if Angelus would agree but that was the deal and there was nothing to be said. If Angelus wouldn't agree he'd go elsewhere. 

                   "Fine." Came the short grunt from Angelus. Before he could say more Spike came catapulting into the room, the other Slayer with him.

                   "I found her." Spike wheezed before collapsing in a panting heap on the floor. "I really need a smoke." 

                   "Giles!" Faith called startled, she looked sort of guilty to have been found in the company of vampires, and Giles suspected there was something there he hadn't quite noticed yet. But it wasn't important at that moment. "Spike was being held in some complex with Buffy by evil scientist people."

                   "I know, it's under Sunnydale somewhere." Giles replied, "I couldn't find it because there are cloaking spells over the building, I thought Angelus could track her through their link, but if Spike's managed to escape…" 

                   Angelus took over letting a short growl escape. "Take me to her." Spike was up on his feet in a moment despite his obvious fatigue. Giles shot a look at Angelus and was surprised to see the change that had overcome him at the news that they knew where Buffy was. Colour had risen to his cheeks and a fire burned in his eyes, Giles recognised that fire and knew his own eyes held it too. The fire was the passion for vengeance that ran through them, the desire to hurt those that had hurt the one they loved. Maybe the vampire did love Buffy. 

                   In her cell in the Initiative Buffy started to laugh, outside her cell Professor Walsh paused in front of her, curious at the smile that graced the petite Slayer's lips. "Why are you laughing?" Her brisk manner was nothing short of scientific but Buffy could sense the foreboding inside her, after all when do prisoners normally laugh?

                   Buffy turned to face her and her eyes locked on hers and she regained her composure instantly. "He's coming. And when he does you'll all burn for what you've done. You'll see, you'll see. 'What's starting cannot be stopped, and what you've done cannot be erased'" And with the smile still locked on her face she turned away and sat still in her cell.

                   Walsh was afraid, for the first time in her life she was afraid, calling over a soldier she ordered the security to be tightened. She'd be ready for what was coming.

Sorry that this part is so short! The rest will be longer I promise.

Weasy


	8. Bound

Thanks as always to my beloved reviewers; I am slowly trying to explain things, I've moved a few conversations forward in the running of things and that should clear things up without changing the story.

There's some violence in this part. I think I'm definitely going to have to up the rating of this to R at some point but I'm not quite sure that it's there yet so I'll leave it at PG-13 unless anyone has any complaints, just be warned that this is, after all, an Angelus fic.

Part Eight –

//There's oceans between us and that's not very far//

                   It took an hour for Spike to lead them through the twisting beach caves to the entrance to the Initiative, despite the Initiative's reputation for being secretive the entrance wasn't hidden. In fact it lacked any stealthiness at all. The door itself was a round steel door, like a porthole airlock with eight pressure locks encircling it. Set in the rough hewn stone beside it was a silver keypad with letters and numbers under the thirty-six buttons. Still fuelled by anger Angelus drew his arm back to smash the key-pad, but with vampiric speed Spikes hand shot out and caught it mid swing. 

                   "Angelus, wait. There are fifteen Aurelius boys on their way here, they can help us."

                   Angelus vamped out and with inhuman strength slammed Spike into the cave wall with his free hand. "When will they be here?"

                   "Five minutes…" Spike choked, though he didn't need to breath, some self-preservation instinct left from his human beginnings compelled him to claw at Angelus arms in an attempt to loosen his grip. "Ten at most. They went. To get. Explosives." Angelus dropped Spike in a heap on the cave floor, it occurred to him somewhere through the blinding rage and desire for blood to be spilt that he didn't have a plan, as such. 

                   "Good." His wicked smirk returned for the first time in months and he laughed. "We'll take them to hell, and meet them there." He inspected the lock again. "Giles and I will get Buffy you two stay here when the others come start to spread the explosives." With that Angelus slammed his fist through the lock and the sparks and flames that leaked out seemed to over his skin without him even noticing. With the keypad inactive Angelus wrenched the airlock open, jumping through the door he seized the soldier who ran to stop him and in one smooth movement snapped his neck. Tossing the body to the floor he grabbed the soldiers friend who was standing stead-fast. The boy was probably only just twenty with reddish-blonde hair that hung limply around his face. The boy cocked his gun and tried to reach for his communicator. Angelus was there in a moment a deadly whirlwind of fists and fangs that had the boy pinned against the wall in a moment. 

                   "Take us to the Slayer." Angelus growled, the boy just nodded.

                   Faith watched the events transpire before her eyes and found it difficult no to understand why Buffy had fallen for Angelus, that guy definitely looked fine in leather pants. The boy had led Angelus and Giles round the corner, and presumably off to find Buffy. She found herself pondering the relationship between Angelus and Giles it was strange the way they held an almost begrudging respect for each other. It was only because of Buffy of course, except… "Spike?"

"Yeah?" He replied looking up from the spot on the cave floor he'd been staring at. 

"What's being bound?" Spike met her eyes for a moment, shock registering in their grey depths.

"They really don't make Watchers like they used to do they?" He laughed for a short moment, but stopped when Faith punched him in the jaw. "Hey!" Straightening himself he shook of his demon mask, which had appeared when Faith hit him. "It's part of vampire lore that every vampire has to choose a mate. Someone to be with forever." Predicting Faith's response he shook his head. "Buffy won't die of old age now pet, she'll stay this age forever well unless Angelus doesn't get to her soon because then the link'll break." Faith wasn't following what he said so he stopped and started again. "When Angelus drank Buffy's blood-"

"He did what?" Faith practically screamed at him and she jumped up from where she'd been slouched on the floor and started pacing the narrow walkway of the cave. Till finally she settled with her head against the cool torn stone of the wall. "Keep going."

"When he drank her blood, she must've drank a bit of his as well, only instead of then killing her, or turning her. He just left her human. That's the bonding ceremony. Well essentially, it's not normally done in an alleyway and there's supposed to be guys in robes and ritually sacrifices. Angelus doesn't stand for ceremony, that's why I've been running his order for five years, since Angelus killed the Master and Darla."

"You're off the point." Faith turned to glare at him and Spike was a little shocked to find that some of the fire in her eyes, was just… gone. He had no idea how much Buffy had betrayed Faith by letting a vampire bite her. This coming from the girl who'd been shagging the undead for well nigh a year now.

"It set up a connection between himself and Buffy, now if Buffy dies Angelus dies, and vice versa. And they can feel each others feelings. Sense each other. They're both virtually immortal now, only thing that'd kill them would be if they push the link too far."

"Which is what they've been doing."

"Angelus was waiting for her to came find her him, but that Slayer knows her mind. Even though it was hurting her she wouldn't come, eventually he went to fetch her, but by the time he got there these guys had got here and the shields around this place were wearing down at the bond too. By rights they should be dead all ready, Slayer was certainly hurting, she spent most of her time sleeping." A faint clatter down the corridor told the pair that there reinforcements had arrived and they stood to greet them. The time for talking was over.

By the time Angelus and Giles rounded the corner to the cellblocks they had left their guide behind. He'd tried to call for help and Angelus had left him unconscious on the floor, Giles preventing him from killing the boy. The pair now relied solely on Angelus vampiric smell, and he was pained to admit he had no trouble tracking her. The smell of her blood was thick and heady in the air combined with fear and something else - something not quite right. Angelus pinpointed the right cell immediately, halfway up the corridor on the right, slowing with caution Angelus motioned for Giles to be quite behind him. The light in the cell Angelus stopped at was dim and Giles' poor human sight could barely make out the silhouette of the slouched figure inside. 

"That's not Buffy." He heard Angelus growl before he collapsed, darkness over taking him before he hit the ground. 

Professor Walsh stepped out of the cell, waiting for the bodies to be moved before she passed them by. The girl had been right she thought she said 'he' was coming for her and she had been right she presumed the slayer had been talking about the dark-haired vampire rather than the older man. Crouching on the ground next to the bodies she studied the face of the vampire. Even though he wasn't breathing she found it difficult to believe he was really one of the undead. his skin was a gentle alabaster instead of the ice white of the other vampires she'd studied and he was stronger too, much older she'd guess than the other vampires, it had taken a volley of shots from her soldiers to take him down. His shirt was loose around his neck where it had been torn and in between the folds of fabric she could just make out the lines of a tattoo. Was this? She had to be sure; tentatively she reached out to pull the fabric back. Angelus continued to lie still presumably unconscious. But he was positioned awkwardly and she had to shuffle closer toward him in order to reach. She leaned over his prone form, leaving her stomach vulnerable to his attack. Angelus used it. His eyes shot open, and before Walsh could even realise what was happening he had shoved a dagger through the soft flesh of her stomach. 

The soldiers rushed around their leader trying to stem the flow of blood, but it was no use the dagger had been embedded up to it's hilt and the blood pulsed past it in a steady stream only getting faster with the soldiers clumsy attempts to slow it. In a last burst of furious energy Walsh turned to face Angelus. "Screw you, Liam." She coughed and blood splayed across the white tile floor of the corridor. "You'll never find your sister now." Satisfied at the expression on Angelus' face she died laughing.

TBC

Mwa ha ha! I'm mean aren't I? Please tell me what you think. 

Oh don't forget I'm still looking for volunteers for my preserving fanfiction idea. If you'd like to know more contact me at 

halfevilkids@yahoo.com.

Weasy


	9. Like A Shark

I've written quite a lot recently… so here's part nine! I'll try and get part ten out as quick as possible. Maybe today and then I don't think I'll be able to post for a while, People coming to stay blah blah…

Part Nine –

//you've got to be strong, that's when they call you in the night//

                Angelus stood stock still for a full minute before Giles was able to pull his attention from the crumpled form of the professor and to the impending doom in the form of the soldiers. There maybe fifteen of them, each with a gun aimed at either Giles or Angelus and they did *not* look happy. 

                "I suggest we run." Giles whispered and Angelus nodded. In one swift second they turned and fled, neither knew exactly where they were going but Giles followed Angelus in the hope that his tracking skills would lead them to Buffy. Or at the very least out of the labyrinth of the complex, so they could lick their wounds and come up with an actual plan before returning for Buffy later. But a part of him knew that by then it could be too late, the bond between Buffy and Angelus had been heavily stretched all ready and the spells protecting the Base were compounding the pain they must have been going through. Although Angelus displayed no signs of physical discomfort from being apart from Buffy, years of living as a vampire had clearly given him the self-control to hide it and Giles was grateful. Because every time Angelus let some of the pain leak into the link Buffy would feel that pain tenfold.

                It was luck that they found Buffy in the end. A patrol of soldiers forced Angelus and Giles to duck into a smaller corridor and from their Angelus had been able to sense Buffy again. She had been moved to a larger cell, the only one on that corridor but she definitely wasn't fairing well. She sat cross legged in one half of the cell, her hair matted and dirty, and she was much thinner than he remembered the lines of her face standing out sharply against the soft tone of her skin. Once again Angelus felt the nagging tug at their link, it had been there for the last few days intermittently – like there was someone else there. It hardly mattered now anyway.

                The archway of the door stood open in front of him and Angelus stepped forward to enter the cell only to be blasted back by the force of the electric barrier there. There was no keypad on the door of this cell. Angelus couldn't get in. He watched as Buffy flinched inside as pain coursed through his body. Desperately his eyes searched the area, there *had* to be a way in. At last he spotted the man inside the cell with Buffy, it was another scientist in a long white lab-coat. He appeared to have been asking Buffy questions, judging by the clip-board and pen he'd dropped trying to hide from Angelus attack at the door. Inside the room Buffy had turned her attention back to the scientist and it's frantic struggling to get out of the room. Apparently through the back wall. "Like a shark." She told him before continuing to paw at the ground in front of her.

                "Buffy!" Angelus cried trying to attract her attention, but she ignored him, eyes down in front of her, he could feel her calling for help on their link but something was stopping her from moving. From helping herself. Desperate Angelus turned to ask Giles what to do and was met by an empty hallway.

                Faith ran through the corridors of the initiative, she and Spike had split the twenty Aurelius vampires that had arrived to help them in two, half to follow her and half to follow him. With four to stay behind in case of a vanguard attack. The problem with setting the explosives around the compound was simple. They didn't know the layout of it, they didn't know even approximately how big it was so Faith was going to follow the main corridor as far as she could West and Spike as far as he could go East. The other vampires would go down any large corridors they passed and each would set the explosives at what they thought was an exterior wall. Any explosives left would be left in the centre of the building before the vampires left, Spike and Faith would then have approximately two minutes to find Angelus, Buffy and Giles before escaping themselves. 

It was a simple plan, it had seemed the easiest way to avoid things going wrong. But even as Faith hurtled through the corridors, she knew that a thousand things could go wrong, most notably neither she nor Spike had any idea where Buffy might be being kept. The sheer sprawling length of the building was crushing and positive she had to pulling the operation off successfully. The blank finishing wall of the path Faith had chosen loomed in front of Faith and relieved she threw the explosive toward, barely taking a moment to watch it slid across the floor and rest against the smooth white before she was running back the other way, retracing her route. 

                Angelus gave in to resignation when he saw that Giles was nowhere within his direct range of sight, and he was not going to look for the Watcher if it meant leaving Buffy. Instead he settled him self on the floor his face close to the electric wall that separated himself from his beloved, closing his eyes he began to slow pull at the link, trying to block out the thing that had wrapped itself so neatly around her mind. A part of him knew it was useless, he was new to being bonded and did not posses the skill to control the link more than that he simply wasn't close enough to Buffy, he didn't know enough about her, and she didn't know enough about him. It wasn't customary to go into bonding with a stranger but at the time it had felt right and for a moment he almost regretted it, if he they couldn't fix whatever was disrupting their link she could die. The only balm in that event would be that he would die with her.

                 Angelus was startled out of his sorrow by a low hissing sound, opening his eyes he was startled to see a pair of legs blocking his view of Buffy, jumping up he saw Giles standing in front of him, carrying Buffy in his arms. Quickly Angelus pulled Buffy into his own arms, and nodding in thanks glanced around Giles Buffy to see the scientist lying unconscious on the floor, a door open behind him. Through the other door was some kind of laboratory.

                "I found the backdoor." Giles told Angelus quietly and the pair began their journey out of the complex. In Angelus' arms Buffy stirred from the drowsy half-sleep she'd slipped into. Angelus opened his mouth to enquire of her health, his eyes all ready scanning her body for anything he'd missed before.

                "It's okay. They're not coming for us yet." She told him her voice heavy with sleep and tranquillisers, before she slipped back into unconsciousness.  

Sirens screamed through the night air as Angelus carried Buffy into their room, Giles was downstairs with Wesley and Faith had disappeared with Spike on the way back from the Initiative. Though the stench of smoke and death hung thick over the city Angelus was filled with joy at the death of the people who'd hurt his mate. The room was dark light by nothing but the moonlight through the window, setting the room with a gentle greyscale tone. Angelus laid Buffy down on the red silk sheets of her bed covering her with the thick eiderdown's he'd always kept, not out of any need for the warmth, but as a faint reminder of the things he'd wanted as a human and didn't need anymore. He sat watching her for a few more minutes, memorising the pattern of her breath and the way she sighed in her sleep. She woke only a few minutes later, her eyes disorientated from the change in light. 

"Angelus…" He was at her side in a moment, showing an unusual amount of compassion and concern, soulless as he was. While part of him wanted to take her whether she was willing or not, another part of him forced himself to wait, even if he was driven insane with want in the meantime.

"Go back to sleep."

"I've been sleeping for a week." She told him dryly and shifted and sat up in the bed pulling him in next to her. "You know, we never did make the bond official." She whispered in his ear letting her breath tickle his senses there as he had done not so long before while her hand travelled down the smooth planes of his chest. Angelus' self control rapidly deteriorated. 

TBC…

Well that's most of the actual plot for this book of Pulse done. D'y like? 

Again, if anyone wants more details about the Preserving fanfiction idea you can contact me at 

halfevilkids@yahoo.com Or if you just want to know what I'm talking about send me an e!

Weasy


	10. Clothes

Part Ten as promised.

Part Ten –

//slow down your moving too fast, you've got to make the morning last//

                When Buffy woke the next morning, she was immediately aware of two things. The first that she just wasn't tired anymore, Ever since she'd woken up in that hospital almost a month before she'd suffered from constant fatigue. Even though she'd wanted to sleep she hadn't been able to, instead lying awake in bed trying to make sense of the pain and confusion that the bonding had heightened within her. The second thing she was aware of was that she was naked, the cool silk sheets fell freely over her skin, and every time it rippled and pooled over her senses with her movements it reminded her of the night before. She blushed at the memory. 

She slowly scanned the room around her, although the thick black curtains were drawn it was lighter than it had been the night before. The light allowed her to see that the room she was in was decorated in the slightly fancy style of the Victorian period, with gilt chairs and a chaise lounge covered in rich red velvet cushions. Everything in the room was so amazingly tactile that Buffy could've spent days running her fingers over the room exploring every object in the room. But there were more interesting things to address, specifically her gorgeous vampire who sat across from her, unashamedly naked and sketching her sleeping form.

Pulling the cover sheet of the bed she wrapped herself up in it and crossed the room to curl up on Angelus lap. "Morning beloved." He greeted her kissing the crown if her head before continuing to sketch her from memory.

"Morning." Her fingers were all ready wrapped around the sketchbook and pulling it toward her, Angelus let her take it watching her as she took in the image before her. The smile on her face was genuine, and full of warmth and love. Carefully folding the sketchbook closed and putting it to one side she shifted her position to straddle him with the dark red sheets surrounding them both and started trailing a line of kisses down his jaw line, playfully biting at his neck. While her hands ran over his body smoothing his muscles and warming his skin at her touch. Angelus replied in turn licking and nipping a path across her collarbone, before laving at the juncture between her neck and shoulders where her creamy flesh was raised in a jagged scar. It had been reopened again the previous night, but he continued to lave at the spot raising her blood to the surface. She whimpered at his touch and suddenly pulled back.

"Angelus. I don't have any clothes."

Angelus slumped onto her chest "Goddamnit Buffy. Now – not the time." He let his hands roam feely over her skin to make his point. Buffy promptly forgot what the problem had been as she lost herself in his kisses.

Hours later Buffy and Faith sat in Faith's favourite diner, between Willy's and the cemetery stretch. Faith had been watching her with her special suspicious smile that said quite clearly. I know you've been screwing. It wasn't hard to tell what Buffy had been doing the night before anyway. She was practically glowing, filled with a giddy happiness that lit up her now constant smile and kept her dancing on the edge of her seat. 

"So how was it?" Buffy was refusing to accept Faith's hint and she'd got bored of waiting for her to just open up, so she figured the direct approach was most likely to get her anywhere.

"Huh?" Buffy replied all innocence and flowers.

"You Angelus, hot monkey sex all over the mansion?" Faith prompted.

"Oh. Nice." Buffy's wide smile told her it was a lot more than nice, but she was all ready blushing heavily so she let it be.

"Where's Angelus now anyway? You know sunlight withstanding I thought you two'd be joined at the hip." Faith replied tucking into the bowl of fries between them. 

"I didn't have any clothes, hence the borrowing of yours. And I have no money so Angelus went out to buy some."

"You fool!" Faith laughed. "Fifty bucks you'll get back and find there's nothing there you can wear in front of your mother." They laughed and some of the tension between them was released but there was still something in the back of Faith's eyes, that was making Buffy a little uncomfortable. It couldn't be Angelus, Faith had been having her way with Spike for a year it must have been something – Buffy's eyes went wide at her sudden realisation.

"Buffy?" Faith asked concerned for the sudden twist in her friends jovial mood.

"My mother!" 

Faith raised her eyebrows in confusion, not able to decipher the fear of her fellow Slayer's face. "Yes…" She prodded.

"Is supposed to be visiting. What day is it?"

"September Twenty-third." Faith replied instantly.

Buffy gave an audible sigh of relief and collapsed back into the booth. "Good. She's not coming 'til the thirtieth." She sat back up and began picking at the fries in front of her. "I lost sense of time for a while." The thick-cloud of sadness that had surrounded Buffy since they'd first met years before returned, and Faith slowly realised that it was never going to go anyway, and Buffy's experience of being separated from the man she'd been bound to had made it worse. Still one good thing had come out of the binding, Buffy's moments of happiness would be a more constant thing now Angelus was there for her. Angelus would never leave her, not like everyone else Buffy had loved and Faith had to be grateful for tat even if she didn't like the idea of Angelus running around with a belly full of Slayer blood. Which he certainly did, the scar of Buffy's neck appeared to have been reopened several times during the night and Angelus must be running on a hell of a high right now. 

"Buffy." Faith said, suddenly serious and Buffy looked up to meet her eyes. "Yesterday, Wesley kind of caught me and Spike. And Wesley went on at me about how degrading it was and, it hurt. I told him about you and Angelus and he said it was different because you two were prophesised… and bonded." Faith's eyes were now running over the table cloth while her fingers played with it's fringe.

"It's not different, it doesn't matter what he says anyway, Giles doesn't approve of me and Angelus either. I can just tell when he looks at me prophesised. It doesn't matter that they don't approve because it has nothing to do with them. Besides it's just something else that makes us different from the stepford slayers" She lowered her head in conspiracy. "And the whole bonding thing? I don't think you've got long to wait." Satisfied she slumped back and the conversation twisted path suddenly to discuss anything but the paranormal.

When Buffy stepped into her room that night she could hear the shower running in the en suite and deduced that Angelus' was in the shower. She took a moment to marvel at the fact that she all ready thought of the room as hers, more so than she had ever thought of the flat in LA as hers. Sighing satisfied she spied some carrier bags lying haphazardly on the bed next to a pile of Angelus' clothes and she snuck over to the bed to look through the shopping bags that lay there.

Five minutes later she slipped into the shower next to Angelus, and immediately started kissing a path down the knotted muscles of his back. "By the way, you owe Faith fifty dollars." She told him smiling sweetly as he spun round locking her hands with one hand over her head and backing her against the wall, he wasn't really angry but vamped out and started nipping at the side of her neck anyway. 

"Why?" He asked.

"She said you wouldn't buy me anything I could wear in front of my mom, Leather, lace and silk… she was right." 

And the challenge has ended. *Sigh* hope you liked the ride. I did and hence the fact… I'm not going to stop writing it, if you've read the challenge you'll know I snuck in a few random bits and pieces of my own and so I feel bound to keep going and bring this story full circle. Plus I kind of like this 'verse. I'll admit Angelus wasn't being all that Angelus-y but that's not the point.

Weasy

Oh yes, the challenge, as issued by Carol Ann:

Initiative, Watchers and Angelus Oh My!

Premise: Angelus was never cursed by the Gypsies, so Angel's soul was never returned. Sunnydale is Angelus' home base, he lives in the Mansion. He is still one of the most dangerous vampires there is but he is not psychotic.

Pairing: B/A(us) F/S C/D

There is more than one Slayer scattered through the world. Buffy is the Los Angeles slayer, she never came to Sunnydale. Giles is her Watcher.

Faith is the Sunnydale Slayer and is friends with Buffy. They don't get along with the other Slayers. Buffy and Faith think of the other slayers as "stepford" slayers always following the slayer handbook, unable to think for themselves and always doing exactly what the council tells them

Angelus is the one who killed the master because he didn't want the Hellmouth opened. Angelus likes the world just the way it is. 

Spike is Angelus' second in command.

The Initiative base is in Sunnydale

The Watchers Council making a deal with the Initiative to give them one of their slayers for study. The Council picks Buffy because they can't control her (she's just like the Buffy on the series), she doesn't see all Demons as evil.

The Initiative kidnapping Buffy, Giles going to the council for help and finding out what they did.

The Initiative running nasty tests on Buffy to see what her abilities are and later plans on trying to breed her with several of their soldiers.

Doyle (yes I had to put him in the challenge, I loved his character) is Buffy's adopted brother and yes he is still half demon and gets visions.

Giles going to the enemy for help to rescue her. Angelus and Giles coming to an agreement, and it must somehow involve Buffy.

Buffy, after being rescued, having to stay in Sunnydale under Angelus' protection because both the Initiative and the Watchers Council are after her.

Angelus supplying Buffy with a new wardrobe since she doesn't have any clothes. Angelus picks out clothes he wants to see Buffy in, lots of leather and silk.

And of course Angelus and Buffy getting involved in a relationship together. 

Buffy's somewhere between 17 and 19. Still in her teen years.

Some Riley bashing.

I was also requested to credit the songs I have at the beginning of each chapter, which seems fair because I sort of forgot at the beginning so:

Dodgy - Good Enough

Crush – Jenifer Paige

Emily – Bowling for Soup

Too Much to Ask - Avril Lavigne

All Ready Over Me – Rolling Stones

Always Suffering – Rolling Stones

When You're Gone – Bryan Adams

Blurry – Puddle of Mudd

Save Yourself – Sensefield

The 59th Street Bridge – Simon and Garfunkel


	11. Willow

Part Eleven –

_//In a cold month, in that room, I found reason for the things we had to do//_

            Angelus woke up to find his bed empty and cold next to him. His eyes quickly adjusting to the dim light in the room he spotted her sitting at the far end of the room staring at herself in the mirror. Silently he slipped out of their bed his feet gently padding to the floor and leading him over to her. He sent behind her enclosing her in a hug. 

            "What are you looking at baby?" he asked her dropping a quick kiss to her shoulder, before returning his eyes to the reflection of hers in front of them.

            "It's weird, I can't see you. But I know you're there." She ran one hand experimentally down his arm and in the mirror her hand balanced on thin air. "It's kind of like this bond between us. When I was inside that place I could feel your anger and I knew when you were coming to get me." Twisting in his arms she stared straight into his eyes, her soft green eyes meeting with his chocolate brown eyes. "Will I always have this scar?" She asked abruptly changing the topic as she was want to do. 

            "Yes." He replied, kissing the rippled skin at the juncture of her neck and shoulders. "It's my Mark, it means that you belong to me and I belong to you."

"It's beautiful then." She returned quietly. 

"Are you okay?" his voice was soft, gentle, concerned. So different from the way he talked to the others.

"Yes. I was just thinking. My mother's supposed to be visiting me in Los Angeles in a few days."

"Well your father can hold her off for a few days." He told her, unaware of what he'd said.

"I don't have a father." She shot back venomously, then sighed running a hand through her blond hair. "I may as well not anyway, he left me in that apartment two years ago and never came back." Though Buffy was reluctant to tell Angelus more, he prodded and poked at her until the whole story came out, about her brother and the Watchers council and how being the Slayer had stopped her returning to her mother in Florida. He left her an hour later, curled up on the bed having cried herself to sleep.

Giles and Wesley sat in the parlour on the ground floor of Angelus' mansion, Angelus had called them a few hours earlier and told them they needed to talk. Neither were intimidated by the dark vampire anymore, if Giles had ever been. His love for Buffy was apparent – even if it did manifest itself in an entirely overprotective streak. And he wanted to know exactly what this bond entailed. Today. Angelus stalked into the room a few minutes later and immediately settled into a plush arm chair across from the two watchers. 

"Where's Buffy?" Giles immediately demanded.

"She's sleeping." He replied surely, and refused to expand on his answer though it seemed clear Giles wanted to know more. "I wanted to ask if you, as Watchers would be prepared to do some research for me."

"About what?" 

"Our bond. There's something… not right about it." Angelus brow furrowed in thought for a moment and then he slightly shook his head and continued "Since we bonded, I've been… off. I mean to say. I don't really want to kill people anymore." The scene was hilarious. Angelus, Master Vampire of the Aurelius Order was admitting his impotency. Giles restrained himself from laughing, he had no doubt that if Angelus realised what he was thinking he'd have no qualms about killing him. 

"It's Buffy's soul." Angelus looked up shocked, his yellow eyes round. "It's very strong, and it's seeping into you through the link." 

"Oh." Looking a bit happier about that Angelus turned to the next thing on his mental list. "There's something else too. There's someone inside, in the link. And when Buffy is… out of it… it's like she's possessed, I can't feel her at all. Like there is something else in her body for a while."

"I have a theory about that too… while I was London looking for Buffy a few days ago, I came across a young witch, she worked for the council. She has something to do with all this though I don't quite know what. And - "

            "Um hi." A voice came from the doorway. Looking up Giles found himself confronted by the small red head he'd seen in London.

            "Willow." He gaped surprised.

            "Yeah." She shuffled slightly. "I guess I've got some explaining to do." 

            Buffy was glad Angelus had come to wake her before Willow told her story, she'd be glad to know where the witch got off messing with her head. But she was still sleepy and hadn't managed to do much more than glare at the girl before curling up on her lover's lap and leaning into his chest. Someone had brought Willow a cup of tea and she sat stiffly on one corner of the couch fiddling with its handle. 

            "Willow, is your name right?" Giles prompted. Willow nodded. "Your accent doesn't sound English."

            "No. I'm American I'm from right here in Sunnyhell actually, on Rose Crescent." She offered them a wry smile, but withdrew it quickly when she met the hostile gaze of those around her, she quickly continued her story. "I went to London when the Watchers Council offered me a job. They were a bit vague about what I was supposed to be doing, but it involved magic and I could bring Xander, he's my best friend. So I jumped at the chance." Willow's eyes clearly showed the regret she felt, and Buffy felt her heart strings tug a little at the girl's constant fiddling. Maybe she didn't know… She was probably the same age as Buffy and she had clearly all ready been through a lot. She could almost feel Angelus sending her give her a chance vibes through their link though he said nothing.

            "It's okay." Buffy whispered, it was quiet though all heard her. And they were all surprised at her reaction, she'd been so angry before.

            "You don't…" Willow sighed, regretfully. "New Slayers were being called all over the place, they're not living as long. Not anymore. And more than that, you and Faith aren't the only rebels – the other Slayers have heard of you too and they weren't abiding by the Council anymore. They got scared I suppose, all their power was just gone. They thought the world-wide battle was going to be lost because we couldn't possibly work together on our own." Willow rolled her eyes and Buffy found herself liking her, true so far all they had in common so far was a hatred for the Watcher's council. But so what?

            "I was supposed to bind myself to each Slayer." Willow looked around at the confused faced before her. "Magically… I mean." They nodded. "Anyway, the point was if any of the Slayer's had a prophecy dream, I'd have it too. So then if they didn't tell the Council about it they'd know anyway. It didn't seem a bad idea. I mean I felt kind bad about the Slayers not knowing about it, but it kept the Council abreast of what was going on and I got paid so I didn't really think much of it."

            "Except?" Wesley prodded, and Willow smiled gratefully. 

            "Except that whenever one of the Slayer's had been hiding something from the Council they suddenly died. I mean I didn't think anything of it at first Slayer's die all the time." Buffy tensed. "I mean…"

            "It's okay. I'm not going to die anymore anyhow."

            "Why Miss Summers, does this mean you are bound to me, just to achieve immortality?" Angelus whispered into Buffy's ear before thoroughly nuzzling her neck. Buffy couldn't help it, she giggled and wrapping one arm around his neck gave him a sweet kiss… and another. The kiss had been going on strong for a good two minutes, and Angelus hand was very purposefully sliding under Buffy's top when Giles harrumphed loudly. Pouting Buffy turned back to Willow, who smiled knowingly. "You're lucky Giles, you don't have to share their dreams." Buffy blushed sheer scarlet and buried her face in Angelus' shirt.

            "Go on with your story." Giles sighed, determined to ignore Buffy and Angelus' touchy-feely-ness. 

            "Um. Well, these Slayers that I told the Council about kept dying so I just stopped telling them when they had Slayer dreams. Which was fine for a while because no one died and the Council thought that they were the heroes again." She sighed. "Then it all went kaploohy."  She shook her head slightly.

            "When you two bonded, I got stuck in the middle. I tried to get out of the bond because the Vampire magic mixing with Wicca magic – it wasn't a good thing. I mean I'm powerful but this is much, much more powerful. There's power and then this was way over somewhere else-"

            "Willow. Point here?" 

            "Oh. Sorry, Buffy. I tapped into something really dangerous, when I was doing a simple reading spell. It's neat, I can read books real fast – like Superman." Buffy looked pointedly at her. "It makes me go all funny. I don't really remember what happens but afterwards Xander says my hair goes all black, and I glow a bit… and I say weird stuff. About someone called the death-bringer." Every mind in the room was on Buffy's insane ravings when they had found her in the Initiative, it was in them both now.


	12. The Forces of Stupidity

Hey, thanks for feedback everybody! And as for the whole death-bringers thing you'll just have to wait and see… 

Part Twelve –

_//They come, they come, to build a wall between us//_

            The revelation that Buffy's insane ravings could have been more than the drugs the initiative had pumped her full off was startling. 

"So what do we do now?" Buffy asked quietly, turning to her watcher for support whilst simultaneously reaching for Angelus' hand.

"We research." Wesley prompted.

"Yes, while Wesley and I research Faith and Angelus could patrol." Giles suggested, Angelus nodded agreement.

"I can show you the library here if you like. It contains every reference to our order so there might be something of use." He paused. "There is a little, about Buffy and I."

"About us?" Buffy questioned.

"It's a little obscure, and I didn't think anything of it until I met you. The archivists are working on them now but…" He trailed off noticing Buffy's expression.

"Why can't I patrol?" Buffy asked sullenly.

"Since we haven't determined the cause of these visions, it would be best if you, and Willow where to stay out of harms way." Giles explained kindly. The meeting broke up quickly, Angelus sending Spike in search of Faith to join him on patrol and then talking the watchers to the library. 

Willow and Buffy sat alone in the parlour silently assessing each other. "Why." Buffy started then stopped, suddenly uncomfortable. Willow looked up at her blue eyes meeting Buffy's green. "Why did they take me to that place." She paused "That was them wasn't it? The watchers were responsible." 

"The council…" Willow bit her lip and turned away, guilt wracking her features. "They saw yourself and Faith as inspiration to the other slayers. They thought if they got rid of you then the others would follow the council, because 'rebelling didn't pay'." Bitter sarcasm was evident in her voice.

"Oh." Buffy tried to process it in her mind.

"Why didn't they just kill me?" Willow smiled at that.

"They've been trying for a long time, but you kept killing the assassins. The half-blood… your brother?" Willow questioned unsure.

"Doyle." Buffy smiled encouragingly at Willow uncertainty, then frowned again. "He had to leave, the council were trying to kill him because they thought he was corrupting me."

 "Not quite. The council just wanted to get rid of him, because his visions were warning you about the assassins they sent after you." 

"Oh."

"When he left they thought it was enough, that he would be hiding and wouldn't be able to tell you about his visions. But you two stayed in contact." Willow drew in a deep breath. "They couldn't get rid of him, so they decided to use him against you. The vision he had before you were kidnapped was a fake vision sent by the council to trap you so the initiative could capture you."

"Are the initiative the…"

"Yes. They had a deal with the council… they wanted to capture a slayer and run tests on her eventually hoping to develop a breeding programme to create highly skilled warriors for the council."

"What was in it for the initiative?"

"I don't know. I think they just liked to mess with people mostly, when they captured you they were really interested in your link between you and Angelus, the pain tests were orchestrated to see if they had any affect on Angelus as well as you."

"Oh." Buffy intoned again. "Do you think that they hurt Angelus, he hasn't really talked about it."

Willow grimaced. "I felt what they were doing. I imagine he did. Truthfully feeling your pain while you were in there was enough to turn my pangs of conscious into a ticket to LAX."

Buffy nodded, sensing that Willow had shared as much as she was going to, at least that day, she stood up and motioned to the door. "Let's find you a room to stay in since we're under house arrest." Willow followed and they chatted easily as Buffy lead Willow up the stairs. 

Angelus was tensed under the cover of darkness. Faith stood a little way in front of him make some joke with Spike while they waited for the forces of stupidity to attack them. It was pointless in some ways, Angelus reflected even bothering to patrol at all, the vampires in the area were all under his control and most of the demon population too. He relished for a moment the idea of going back to Los Angeles with Buffy, the area had been neglected while he was in San Francisco. Spike had done well while he had taken over the running of the hellmouth, but Angelus had received word that Dru had left him for a chaos demon, though Faith seemed to be distracting him from any pain of that loss well enough. It was faintly disturbing in a way, how domesticated his order had become. Years before when the past Master, Nest, had been in charge chaos had been the objective the reason for carrying on the line. Now it was simply about power and survival. Generations of slayers had killed off whole sections of their brethren, most of their European relatives were long dead, and in fighting had secured the death of the rest. Angelus had killed the Master and his sire, Darla, himself when they had decided to raise the demon Acathala and take the world into hell. It appeared he and Spike had been the only ones who had seen that the world was fine the way it was. That the hundreds of humans weren't vermin but prey, and the world would be a whole lot less fun without them.

A slight pang in his link told him he wasn't really that vampire anymore. The one who'd slain his sire and Master to make sure he had a constant supply of willing human flesh around him. He didn't hunger for and humans flesh except his own. Wanted nothing but to keep Buffy safe. He didn't revel in the kill anymore. When he had found out Buffy had left the hospital without him his first instinct had been to kill and torture those around him. But he had barely raised a fist to the minion beside him when Buffy's soul had told him not too. Her soul. Her soul… had infected him. Filed him with sweet love and longing and swept away his hunger for death and destruction and replaced it with a single desire for her. He received little desire from the kill now, though he had enjoyed ruthlessly killing every man that had touched her. A soft smirk played on his lips as he thought of the screams, perhaps her soul had not destroyed all the satisfaction of the kill inside him, after all.

A scream of pain down the link crippled him in a moment and he collapsed to the floor in agony. A cry wrenched from his lips as Spike and Faith rushed to his side. "Buffy." He gasped, struggling to stand as her suffering tore at his nerves. Faintly he heard Faith ring the mansion on her cell demanding what was wrong with Buffy. But he could barely make the words out through the blood pounding in her ears. 

As soon as Giles received Faith's frantic message he dropped the phone and ran as fast as he could up the mansion stairs, jumping the stairs two at a time he felt the presence of Wesley close to his back. Rounding the corridor at the top of the stairs he sped through the corridors and skidded to a stop in front of the door to the room his Slayer shared with her vampire mate Angelus. He knew before he tried the door handle that it was locked and found himself throwing his shoulder at the door to try and break the lock. Wesley joined him, panting slightly from lack of breath holding a skeleton key, his fingers quickly worked the key in the lock and the door swung open before them.

Buffy lay on the floor, lacerations covered her bare skin and deep bruises marred her complexion around her wrists and neck, her pale features stood in stark contrast to the blood that pooled on the floor around two puncture wounds in her neck.


	13. Guardian

I'm so sorry about how long it's been, but I should have the next part out on Friday, or Monday at the latest after that it might be a while before I can post again. My life is very busy at the moment but it should get back to normal soon.

Part Thirteen –

_//like a rat in a maze the path before me lies, and the pattern never alters, until the rat dies//_

            Buffy lay unconscious on the trolley as they medical staff wheeled her through the ER. "Do you know what happened?" The doctor demanded of Giles.

            "No." He answered truthfully. "A friend called to say, she thought there might be something wrong and we found her like this." Giles eyes darted around the corridors anxiously awaiting the arrival of Angelus. One of the Aurelius must have… he let the thought trail away Buffy was important now, and he had no doubt Angelus would take special care of whoever had done this.

            "Was she conscious when you found her?"

            "No." The image of her still crumpled form was imprinted on his mind.

            "Do you know if she might be pregnant?"

"What?" Giles asked fuzzily trying to shake the image of the blood from his mind.

"Is there any possibility that she might be pregnant?"

"No." Giles intoned again. Dead people can't have kids, he thought wryly.

"Any medication, drugs she might have been on?"

"I don't know." He held back a sigh. They didn't know what had happened while… he hadn't talked with her about it yet, and he doubted whether even Buffy could tell him all of what they had done to her, Spike had told him she spent most of her time there unconscious. "She was…" He fought for the words to phrase it. "We only got her back two days ago." He whispered. He watched as Buffy was wheeled into a surgery room swing doors closing behind him, as the doctor stopped him from following.

"You're her father?" He asked curiosity in his eyes.

"Guardian." Giles intoned.

"We'll keep you informed." He replied stiffly before disappearing behind the black doors that kept him from his charge.

Giles was still standing in front of those black doors when Faith and Spike came charging up behind him. Stopping short of crashing into him they stood in silence behind him. Unconsciously Faith entwined her fingers around Spikes. "Giles…" She started uncertainly. Giles made no move to reply to her silent question and taking a deep breath she moved to start again.

"What happened?" A deep voice growled from behind her. Jumping at the sound she spun round to see Angelus yellow eyes boring into Giles' back.

"We don't know." Giles replied, his eyes still locked on the black doors.

"Angelus?" Spike pulled a face at his grand-sire. "Why aren't you unconscious anymore?"

Angelus frowned. "They've given her pain killers." Turning his attention back to Giles he growled softly. "What was she like when…" he trailed off.

"Beaten." The single word from Giles made Angelus' face contort to his natural vampire features.

"Who was it?" He spat out ignoring the concerned glances of the orderlies around him as his body coiled in preparation to destroy whoever had done this to her.

"Her neck…" Giles uncertainty was clear. So was his implication. Could one of his own order have tried to kill his mate? The idea seemed preposterous, he had made every one of them vow to protect her on pain of their unlives, and to some extent they seemed to enjoy having her around. But the question remained a nagging reminder of their own existence. They were still vampires, and unaccustomed to his new way of living. Perhaps one had… he dismissed the thought. His power was absolute, if a vampire had been the cause of Buffy's condition it could not have been one of his own and if it were they would pay. Dearly.

"Where is she?" He demanded instead. A short nod towards the black doors was all Angelus needed, ploughing through the short group around the doors, he ignored the cries from Spike and Faith to stop, Giles said nothing to him and showed no emotion at his actions. Some security guars rushed to stop him, and he threw them off easily, the faint sound of a head snapping against a wall caught his attention and a half-glance behind him told him that Spike and Faith were now helping defend his from the security men. Catching Spike's eye he sent a wave of gratitude toward him and followed the scent of his mate's blood down the white corridor in front of him. 

By the time Angelus reached the operating room she had been encased in she was no longer their though the scent of her blood was thickest here. The orderlies that were seeping the red rivers of her life essence from the floor tried to stop him as he swept through the room but his rage sent them sprawling in moments. Hauling one of them to his feet by his neck his yellow eyes pierced the orderlies frightened eyes in a determined gaze. "Where is she?"

"I-I don't-" The man's stuttering was cut off by Angelus' tightening grip on his windpipe. Relaxing his grip a little he raised an eyebrow at the man. "Two-five-six." The man gasped. "Room two-five-six." Angelus dropped the man to the floor and ignored the man's crawling away from him as he studied the hospital map on the wall. Locating Buffy's room on the map, he swept out of the room. Behind him the orderly could be heard calling for security.

By the time Angelus reached her room he had left a trail of destruction in his path as guard after guard tried to block his way, Someone had called the police and they were now huddled around the entrance to her room. Determined to stop him from entering. Setting his face in determination he walked cautiously toward the guards to try and use the element of surprise. He was spotted almost instantly, not an unlikely event as every person in the hospital was looking for him. Preparing himself for the fight he slipped into his vampiric features and took a step closer to the barrels of twenty guns barred his way. 

"Put your hands where we can see them." One of them demanded. Angelus just grinned cockily.

"I don't think so." Stepping closer he laughed at the expression of fear that flashed over the chief of police's face. 

"Angelus…" A sift voice whispered, and like the police his head whipped around to face it's source. 

"Buffy." Angelus breathed a sigh of relief at her appearance, she was very pale and her beautiful creamy skin was a patchwork of cuts and bruises. But she was alive. "Who did this to you?" He was inexplicably pleased that he couldn't smell any vampire on her but himself but the question still remained and his fury once again taking centre stage of his emotions.

"It's okay." She made a vague attempt at smiling but it quickly faded. She took a few shaky steps toward her, and the policeman that surrounded her moved to stop her. "No." She told them softly. 

"But his face ma'am." One of them tried to say, his eyes transfixed by Angelus distorted brow. 

"It's okay." She said again, and they stepped away as she moved to Angelus' side. Wrapping her arms around him she released a shuddering breath, and started to cry sobbing breaths into his chest. Protectively wrapping his arms around her he peppered kisses onto her tears running his hands over her skin to check the extent of her injuries. It vaguely registered in his mind that she was dressed in a loose hospital robe and probably wouldn't have been out of bed but he pushed the thoughts away in favour of hugging her closer to his chest. 

"Who did this, Buffy?" He spoke softly and used one hand to pull her chin up, so her eyes met his. She immediately looked away. 

"Council." She whispered, her voice was cracked and broken despair evident in her eyes.

"Was it Willow?" He demanded.

"No." Her eyes darted around the room. "We were talking in her room when they came. I think she might be dead." She whispered softly. 

"She's still here in our bond." Angelus assured her running his hands over her face, as if to remind himself of her presence.

"Oh." Her eyes were misty in the haze of the painkillers she'd been given. Unstable on her legs she almost fell, Angelus' arms around her the only thing that kept her upright. 

"Let's get you back to bed." He commanded.

"Wanna go home." She mumbled. "Can't stay here."

"Why not baby?"

"Don't like hospitals." She tried to stand on her own, to walk away from him, but slipped again and Angelus looped one arm under her legs and carried her to her room. Her arms automatically wrapped around his neck, and her eyelids drooped. "Celia died." She mumbled before drifting into unconsciousness.


	14. Escaping

I fixed this part so I can get it out now. The next one will hopefully come out on Saturday but I might not have time (sorry) but after that I don't know… anyway hope you enjoy.

Weasy

Part Fourteen

_//though hate ain't cheaper it's built to last//_

            By the time Giles finally managed to see Buffy it was close to dawn. Angelus had finally moved from Buffy's side in order to escape the rays of the sun. He had conferred with Spike for a while before angrily telling Giles that it had been the council that had attacked her. Part of Giles was still shocked that he council had done this to his Slayer. Even with the knowledge that they had captured her against her will only a short week before did nothing to stem the deep betrayal that howled in his veins. They'd tried to kill her. The marks in her neck… the realisation came to him that they had wanted it to look like Angelus had killed her. 

            They'd found Willow after they'd found Buffy herself, slumped unconscious against the wall, and he had a deep suspicion they'd made her watch as they tortured... His stomach cramped and he swallowed quickly to avoid throwing up at the idea of it. She was okay physically and had told him about the conversation she'd had with Buffy earlier, about the council's connections with the initiative. And a little about what the initiative had done, what they had wanted to do. It wasn't making him feel any better. Willow certainly knew more than she had told them yet. And Giles' thoughts turned to Xander the boy Willow had been talking to in London – he certainly seemed indoctrinated by the council. Perhaps there was something more than she had mentioned. His thoughts filtered back to Buffy again and he supposed a silencing spell had been used around the room. But his head hurt with the inexplicable guilt, that he had been sitting in the room below her while she had been…

            Giles walked the halls to Buffy's room, unaware of the wary eyes around him, lost in his misery. There was a policeman outside her room who eyed him cautiously as he entered the room. A nurse was fusing around a sleeping Buffy when he entered, she immediately stiffened at the sound of the door, spinning around she visibly relaxed when she saw him. 

"Hello." Giles said softly. "Can I?" He motioned at the chair and she nodded finishing her duties quickly as he seated himself, before heading to the door.

"I'm glad there's someone else here for her. That man…" She trailed off when she saw the quiet smile on Giles face.

"He loves her very much." Was all he said, the nurse nodded and quickly left.

"Buffy." Giles sighed, taking her hand in his. He sat like that for nearly an hour before he added. "I'm sorry. For everything they've done to you. I'll make it right, I promise." Dropping a kiss to her fingers he dropped her hand and exited the room. Mentally he was all ready booking his flight to London.

When Buffy woke that evening Faith was just leaving her room. "Wait…" She croaked, and Faith spun around to see her sister slayer squinting at her from the bed. Squealing in a very un-Faith-ish manner she ran back to her friend and wrapped her arms around her in a hug. Buffy winced slightly at the pressure on her wounds and Faith immediately jumped back.

"Help me break out?" Buffy asked smiling wickedly.

"Hell yes!" She leaned closer conspiratorially "Your boyfriend beat up all the guards, so there's no one left to stop us anyway."

"Good." Buffy sat up and pulled at the IV tube in her arm, hissing in pain as the needle tore through her skin. "Hate hospitals. My cousin Celia died here."

"Yeah I remember." Faith replied and stepped back slightly glancing anxiously down the hallway as she was joined by the hulking shadow of Angelus. Buffy appeared not to notice, jumping out of her bed she looked down at the loose hospital robe she wore. 

"Clothes?" She asked hopefully.

"Buffy. Stop." Angelus voice commanded from the doorway. 

She frowned in displeasure. "No." She turned back to Faith. "Please?" Faith just shrugged apologetically and backed out the room. "Traitor!" Buffy called after her.

"Buffy, just get back in bed." Angelus told her again.

"No." She told him again, her eyes hardened with fear. "Angelus, I can't stay here."

His eyes showed his fear for her condition and sighing she sat on the bed. "I could have you moved to a Los Angeles hospital would you prefer that?" He tried instead.

"Angelus, I hate hospitals! I don't care which hospital you put me in you can't make me stay." She told him crossing her arms over her chest.

"You will stay until the doctors say you are better." He told her. 

"I don't need the doctor to tell me I'm better." Jumping back off the bed she started searching the cabinet next to the bed for something to wear. 

"Buffy…" He started again.

"No!" She stalked toward him poking him angrily in the chest. "You can't tell me what to do! This is my life, and I am not staying in this hospital any longer!" Standing back she set her hands on her hips and openly glared at her lover.

Angelus sighed deeply. "Do you swear you'll tell me if anything is wrong." She nodded. "And you'll go to the hospital if you're in pain." She nodded again.

"Fine." Pulling a bag from behind him he tossed it to her, puzzled she opened it and laughed at the pile of neatly folded clothes inside.

            "I guess Giles told you I didn't like hospitals huh?" she laughed. Un ashamedly stripping in front of him, she rooted through the bag. "So what's the whole thing about LA?" She asked distracting him from the lust filled gaze he'd been trailing over her body. 

            "Well you said your mom was supposed to be visiting you at some point. And since Sunnydale isn't looking particularly safe for you I figured I could just move the Aurelius headquarters there." He told her.

            "Don't you have to stay here?" She asked distractedly trying to decide between the selection of tops he'd brought. 

            "No. Spike has kept everything ordered here and he can keep doing so, Whereas Penn let Los Angeles run riot." He bit back a growl of displeasure at his childe's actions.

            "Penn?" Buffy queried the name ringing faint bells in her mind. "Oh! I killed him."

            "Oh." Angelus replied, uncertain how to take that news. 

            "He kidnapped a friend of mine." Buffy added. Angelus smiled feeling slightly better about his death. "Plus he had this weird thing about his parents." Rolling her eyes Buffy pulled on some pants, and Angelus once again felt his gaze settling on her now unbroken flesh as the leather trousers hid it from his view. Spinning around Buffy showed of her outfit. "What do you think?"

            "I think you'd better get well soon." Angelus replied smirking.

            "And why should I do that?" She replied innocently, sliding up next to him, and pressing her willing flesh into the smooth wall of muscle that was his chest. Slipping his hands over her bottom he pulled her closer and into his evident arousal. Laughing at his discomfort she slipped out of his grasp. "You've got to get me out of here first mister." She told him as she near skipped out the room.

            Angelus followed closely behind her, openly glaring at the guard outside the room as he did so. The marked change in Buffy's behaviour… wasn't right. But right now he wasn't complaining.

            Barely hours later the pair were settling into Buffy's apartment in Los Angeles. "I don't think your stuff is going to fit." Buffy told him grimly as she glanced around her small apartment. Her eyes settled on the door to Giles' room for a moment. Deep in thought she didn't even notice Angelus saying something to her. Lightly touching her on the shoulder she turned round to face him.

            "Sorry. I just." Feeling tongue-tied she tried again. "I wish he hadn't gone to London."

            "He'll be back." Angelus assured her. "I, uh, sent a few of my men after him to help him out. They're working on some ideas on how to take down the council." He glanced guilty at her. "They promised to stop him if he tried to do anything by himself." 

Relief flooded Buffy's face. "Good." She glanced at the door again. "I don't know that I want the council to not exist, I mean the only reason I didn't die a long time ago is because of Giles. I can't deny the other Slayers that."

"No. Perhaps we can find someway to alter their opinions." He ran a hand lightly through her hair. "If there are sympathisers within the council we can try to instate them in a role of power."

"You're very sweet for a vampire you know." She said suddenly. He frowned at the comment. "I don't mean… it's just." She motioned to the sofa beside them and he sat down, she immediately curled up next to him. "After we were bound. I wanted to go to you – but I was scared to because I didn't know what you would do." She paused again, collecting her thoughts. "I read all the books about you, the things you did, and I thought you would do the same to me. That this was some kind of torture you cooked up for me, to make me want you. So you could do whatever you wanted to me." Soft tears escaped from her eyes as she remembered the nights of dreaming the things he would do to her… and liking it. 

"It wasn't." His voice broke with uncertainty. "I don't know why I bound you to me." She looked up at him questioningly. "Well I know now. I didn't then I just had to something inside me just knew I belonged with you. I wasn't planning it. I don't know if I even really realised that you were the Slayer before I did it."

"We were kinda drunk." Buffy laughed.

"Yeah. The thing is, before I was bound to you I might have done all those things you thought I would. I might have raped you or killed your family and I wouldn't really have thought much about it. But the binding – it makes you my mate. And I could never do those things to you – and because of this link I don't think I could ever do it to anyone. I asked Giles about it and he said because your soul was so strong it was affecting me through the link." He brushed a lock of hair away from her face. 

"So you've got a soul now?" She asked hope shining in her eyes.

"Sort of. I'm not having any difficulty planning exactly what I'm going to do to those who did this to you." He kissed her lips lightly. "It's kinda weird, it's like I'm a different person to before, but in other ways I'm exactly the same."

"You should have a different name then."

"Huh?" He echoed not following her thought train.

"Well if you're a different person you should have a different name, but only a little bit different because you're not a totally different person." Suddenly mischievous she slipped up onto her knees, and moved over him to straddle him. Trailing her fingers down her chest she placed a gentle open-mouthed kiss to her lips, and shifted positions slightly she ground her core into his arousal. "How about Angel." She suggested before licking and nipping a trail of kisses down his neck while her small fingers worked steadily at the buttons of his shirt.  

"Sure baby." He muttered his hands settling on her hips to push her harder against his lap. She groaned in pleasure at his actions. Suddenly he stopped and pulled away. "Angel?" he demanded.


	15. The Wizard

Okay… this is me on hiatus again, but my computer that had this on got fixed! And just came back, and since Elizabeth keeps bugging me about it, I thought hey I'll post it, but this is a special to ff.net, 'cos I'm not posting this on the lists yet, so feel proud. 

Weasy

Part Fifteen –

_//I want you, I need you, I've gotta be near you//_

Carlotta arrived the next morning to find Buffy curled up in the arms of a handsome older man, they were both obviously naked. Seeing that the curtains were still closed, she moved to open them. Secretly hoping Buffy would wake up so she could ask her about the man in her bed. 

            Crossing the room to the curtains she noticed they had been changed from the last time she been here and were now thick velvet drapes. Tightening her grip around the curtain she moved to fling it back when a sound behind her made her pause. "Don't Carlotta." A small voice said from the bed. It wasn't Buffy who had spoken; she still lay sleeping, but the man instead. "Let her sleep." He added, seeing her confusion. Nodding she stepped away.

            "Do you mind if I ask who you are, and how you know who I am?"

            "No I don't." The man laughed lightly but didn't answer the question. "Could you pass me my pants?" He asked, motioning to the pile of clothes behind her as he sat up on the bed, Buffy stirred by his side pulling the covers tighter around herself. He dropped a light kiss to her forehead. Taking the pants from Carlotta he pulled them on as he slipped out of the bed. He picked up some jewellery from the table, a chain which he slipped over his head and a gold ring, set with a green stone which he slipped on one finger. "Come on I'll make you breakfast." He told the woman, and she nodded following him into the sunny living area.

            Carlotta laid the kitchen table, before taking a seat while the dark-haired man started cooking an omelette on the stove. Soon sweet cooking smells started to dissipate around the apartment. It was enough to wake her little blonde haired employer, and she shuffled into the kitchen complete with bed-hair and wearing nothing but a man's red silk shirt. Moving over to the man she planted kiss on the tattoo that spanned his shoulder before seating herself at the table and pouring herself a glass of orange juice. "Hey Carlotta." She replied happily before jumping up from the table all traces of sleep wiped from her actions. "Carlotta!"

            "Hello Buffy." Carlotta replied grinning at her embarrassment. Tucking a strand of silky black hair behind her ear she laughed at Buffy's horrified expression. "Don't worry. I won't tell your mother."

            "Thank God." Buffy exclaimed before seating herself back at the table. "What's for breakfast Angel?" she asked apparently satisfied with Carlotta's reaction. 

            "Your name is Angel?" Carlotta interrupted before he could answer. "You are not Mexican" she paused thoughtfully, "or Spanish." She added.

            Angel turned to glance at Buffy. "My name is Angelus, it's Latin." He told her, "And I'm actually from Ireland, originally. And Buffy doesn't like my name so she calls me Angel." Pulling the pan from the stove he served the pair and himself before sitting down himself and eating. Seemingly satisfied Carlotta and Buffy turned to inspect the food he had placed in front of her instead.

            "This food is excellent!" Carlotta exclaimed after her first mouthful. "You are very lucky Buffy, my husband cannot cook." Buffy laughed at that and remembered the many times Carlotta had complained of coming home to find her cooking tools burnt and broken. "He means well, but he can't cook." She sighed as she took another mouthful. "Are you a chef Angel?" 

            "He's an artist." Buffy quickly supplied.

            "I don't really have a fixed profession." Angel added and glanced curiously at Buffy. "I run several businesses very successfully." 

            "What sort of businesses?" Carlotta prompted genuinely interested.

            "Night-clubs, hotels and restaurants. That sort of thing. But I also own other sorts of companies, I have interests everywhere." He explained, trying to describe the money he collected from all over his order without sounding like he was a member of the Mafia.

            "Angel was looking for somewhere to start a hotel in Los Angeles." Buffy added suddenly, and Angel sat back letting her talk. After it was her future she was making up as much as his. "Do you know if the Hyperion Hotel is still for sale?" 

            "Yes." She glanced at the blonde worryingly. "But it needs a lot of work, they say a few weeks ago some kids started a fire inside." Buffy tensed slightly and Angel got the impression that had been something to do with her. Maybe that was why she wanted to buy it. 

            "Well perhaps we could look around it this afternoon." Angel suggested, and Buffy smiled gratefully at him. Unable to let the moment pass unrecognised he lifted one hand to her face and trailing his fingers down the silky skin of her cheek, now completely unmarked from the incident that had shockingly occurred only two nights before. He caught her lips in a quick kiss before turning back to his food.

            "All right I *have* tried to be subtle, but it isn't working. Where did you two meet?" Carlotta finally let out, unable to hold her tongue any longer.

            "We met at the Silver Shadow, you know the club on…" 

            Willow was jerked awake by the jumpy motions of the bus she sat on. Feeling tired and dirty in the overheated bus she rubbed her eyes and tried to straighten her stiff back as much as she could in the tight confines of the seat. She momentarily regretted refusing the offer of a lift to LA with one of the Order of Aurelius. As much as being around Buffy and Angelus gave a weird sense of security, being around the other vampires did not. As often as Buffy had told her that they were perfectly safe, in the few hours they had been allowed to talk to each other, she didn't feel safe. Perhaps it was something to do with the years of council indoctrination. Maybe it was something else. 

            Squinting through the dirty glass she glanced at the highway signs as they zipped past. It should only be another half-hour before Willow arrived in Los Angeles and she'd feel better when she could find Buffy and Angelus, she had to tell them- a hot flush of passion shot through the tangled web of her link and she pulled her mind sharply away from it. The sooner she could get rid of the link the better. 

            The bus swerved slightly as it lurched off the freeway and the smell of burning rubber filled Willow's nostrils. Scrunching her nose in disgust she turned to inspect the other passengers and found herself face to face with the man sitting next to her. Grey eyes poured into hers under a head of bright blue hair. Ducking her head in embarrassment, she noted he was wearing a shirt that proclaimed 'Dingoes Ate My Baby' and suddenly found her eyes tracing the lines of his muscles under the smooth fabric.

            "Hi." The man finally murmured shaking her hand in his, a difficult action in the cramped space on the bus. "I'm Oz."

            "Willow." She replied a smile easily slipping over her lips, his own dazzling smile replied, and she caught his eye again. Their hands remained joined, unnoticed in the intensity of the gaze.

            Behind the bus a black humvee swerved into the lane behind them.

            Buffy closed the door behind Carlotta and leaned back against it feeling the door resonate under her fingertips. Her eyes were closed, and a quietly satisfied smile played on her lips, Carlotta was one of her very few friends and it meant a lot that she approved of her relationship with Angel. A cold hand spanned her belly and slid around her hips to brace her back against the wall while her love planted cool kisses along the base of her neck. Pausing from his ministrations he glanced up as he watched her reactions to his touch dance across her face.

            "Why the hotel?" He whispered.

            She tensed instantly.

            Pushing him away her eyes snapped open. "Why are you standing in the sunlight?" She demanded hostility pouring out of her every word.  He raised one hand, and the sunlight glinted off the green stone imbedded in the ring he wore, a line of red ran through the smooth rock and forked like a river of blood set in stone. 

            "This bond means that if one of us dies, so does the other. So I had Spike find this for me – it's called the Gem of Amara. It makes me immortal." He smiled lightly, moving imperceptibly closer to her.

            "Oh." She replied rubbing a hand over her eyes. And then pulling it back through her hair. Her eyes looked sore and tired, not only from the complete lack of sleep the night before but the sort of bone aching tiredness that came from years of fighting alone.  

            "The hotel?" he prompted again. 

            "I don't want to talk about it Angel." She muttered, pushing his arms away when he moved to pin her to the wall. 

            "Don't call me that." He snapped, eyes flashing yellow. "There's nothing angelic about me." 

            "You saved me didn't you?" She whispered. Turning away she picked up her jacket from the sofa and slung it around her shoulders. "I'm gunna go… patrol." 

            "It's daylight Buffy, there's nothing to kill."

            Hollowly she laughed. "There's always something to kill, and the daylight doesn't seem to be keeping the monsters away anymore." She shot. 

            "Buffy," he tried again, grabbing her wrist in an attempt to keep her still. Violently she wrenched herself away, anger burning in her eyes. 

            Don't." She warned before pulling the apartment door open and rushing down the stairs, brushing past one of the elderly residents she ignored her when she greeted her. Puzzled the woman stared up at Angelus' angry expression. Sighing he kept himself from slamming the door and managed to give the woman some sort of reassuring glance, before shutting the door. Instantly morphing into his vampiric guise he slammed his fist through a wall and watched as the plaster crumbled around his fist. He wanted to sink his fangs into that woman's neck, drain her dry and leave her in Buffy's bed as a warning not to cross him. But he couldn't. Didn't even feel that old familiar buzz of pleasure at the idea of misery and mayhem… all he could do was mope and blame himself, the only blood he wanted was Buffy's and he didn't want to drain her, or even turn her… Collapsing onto the sofa he studied the LA skyline. He was certainly the most screwed up Vamp to ever exist. 

TBC…

I know, you're gunna be reading this forever… but hey there's a lot of plot coming!

Weasy


	16. Back Again

Part Sixteen –

__

I can't read you I wish I could what's going through your mind? I can't touch you your hearts protected I _get left behind_

The sun was dipping low under the horizon, and had painted the commercial district in soft reds and blacks, when Angel found Buffy. Pushing the heavy door of the Hyperion open he stepped around the debris that littered the floor in an attempt to move quietly. Everything was covered in dust, and where the scant rays of light where being let inside from the open door Angel could see towers of dust dancing in the light. A shadowy figure sat leaning against the bottom of the sweeping staircase, a shard of broken mirror was in the figure's hands, and she played with it, turning it over and over so that a mesmerising pattern of light played on the wall opposite her. Her pulse quickened as he stepped toward her, and he felt it bubbling on his throat, though she made no move to approach him.

He was by her side in an instant, and folding his coat under him, he sat next to her, watching the light shows she made. "It's beautiful." He finally said.

"It's just light." She disagreed.

"The hotel." He clarified, and she turned to look at him for the first time, blonde hair falling loosely around her face, framing her pained eyes.

"It's broken." She told him.

"No." he disagreed. Standing up, he held out a hand to help her up too, she surveyed him for a minute before taking his hand and excepting his help. Keeping her hand in his he tried to comfort her through his physical presence even if he couldn't work out what was going on her mind. Running his free hand over the banister he swept the dust away to reveal the mahogany underneath. "See… it just needs cleaning."

"I'm pretty sure there's some structural stuff too." Buffy objected.

"Nothing we can't deal with." Angelus glanced around what he could see off the vast lobby they were now standing in, grateful for his vampiric eyesight in the failing light. "Would you object if I used it for Aurelius? I need a new base of operations if this is where we're settling."

"Do you have to?" Buffy sighed. "This place needs a soul… not vampires."

Slightly offended but not willing to push his now obviously unstable mate he shrugged. "What do you want to do with it?"

"Restore it."

He resisted the urge to point out that that had been obvious and instead just prompted her further. "And after?"

"It should be somewhere… to help people I guess."

"Aurelius helps people."

"By not killing people when they bite them?" She rolled her eyes. "You're really doing humanity a favour there. I mean going out to help people in trouble… like preternatural cops or something."

Angelus raised one eyebrow and smirked. "Out to help the hopeless?" he mocked. Seeing her face he scolded himself for pushing her. "If that's what you want then, that's what I'll get the order to do. But Buffy – you're not going with them."

Rounding on him she drew herself up to her full five foot four (with heels) height and met his eyes. "And exactly why not?" she demanded.

"The Initiative, The Watchers Council and probably a hundred Slayers are all out to get you. You are not leaving my sight again until they're all dead."

"I'm the Slayer! Of course there are people after me, that's their job, as bad guys, and it's my job, as the good guy, to beat their miserable asses back to hell. That's the way it goes!"

"Not anymore." He insisted.

"You think you can stop me?" She challenged.

Seeing this was getting him nowhere he changed his tactic. "Giles told me you dropped out of School."

She stiffened. "And?"

"Don't you want to finish? I can keep everything covered demon-wise until you're done. I'm sure the school wouldn't object to having you back." He reasoned.

"It's not quite that simple." He motioned for her to go on. "I didn't so much drop out… as er… burn down the gym and get kicked out." She shrugged. "So I'm pretty sure they don't want me back."

"What about private school then?"

"You have to do aptitude tests and stuff to get in, and I'm not exactly the greatest smarts wise."

"We can sort something out." Wrapping his arms around her he breathed in the scent of her hair. "Would you at least consider it?"

"If you'll consider letting me patrol." She shot back. Grumbling under his breath, he knew she'd won already.

Glancing around the walls again Angelus knew there was more they needed to talk about. Whatever it was that had crept into their link when Willow had had wrapped itself around Buffy's mind like a blanket, her mood was constantly unpredictable and when she was at her prophecy spewing worst she could never remember what had happened afterwards. It was all getting worse… she was being drowned in black magic and he had no idea how to save her.

Seeing her shiver he slipped his jacket off and swung it over her shoulders. "Cold?" he murmured.

"Only in my head." She laughed, all of her playfully argumentative-ness from a moment before had gone again and Angel could feel the change in the link. It was like it had got cold… like something was draining all the happiness away and pulling his most horrific memories to the surface.

"How can I make it go away?" He asked desperately.

"Have to ask the death-bringer that." She shrugged, blank eyes fixed on the bottom step of the stairs. Following her eyes Angel stepped toward the stairs.

"What is it? What do you see?" He demanded.

"Shadows."

Shifting Buffy's weight in his arms Angel gracefully moved up the stairs to Buffy's apartment, cursing the fact that the building had no elevator. As Buffy's door came into view, up just one more flight of stairs he passed the door of the elderly neighbour who'd witnessed there fight earlier. The door swung open, pretending to have not noticed he put his foot on the first step. Feeling a hand on his shoulder Angelus knew he had no choice but to turn around, doing so he shifted Buffy's weight again and she curled closer to him in response one hand splayed on his chest.

"Excuse me?" the old lady stepped away from him a little, it was late and she was dressed in slippers and a quilted dressing gown, hair pulled up in a net. But she stood regally, as though she had been someone important once and wasn't going to forget it anytime soon.

"Yes?" Angelus prompted.

"Are you Miss Summer's husband… oh, I suppose she's not Miss Summers anymore." She corrected herself.

Somewhat confused as to why she would assume they were married, though he supposed the fact they were living together might just have been a bit much without marriage for her taste… she somehow didn't seem the sort to be that strict. "Yes." He finally answered. "We're married." They were vampirically married at any rate. But he couldn't remember his human surname if Buffy ever wanted to use it. Shifting Buffy's weight again as his arm muscles ached from over use he saw the woman give him another pointed look. "She feel asleep in the car." That at least was true.

"Oh, well. A young lady left a message for Buffy and yourself."

"Oh." Well that explained why she thought they were married, whoever had visited must've told her they were. The woman looked at him expectantly for a moment. "Who was it?"

"She said her name was Willow."

"Oh." Sighing Angelus held back his frustration at having missed her he really wanted to talk to her about this weird channelling thing Buffy was doing. "Did she leave any contact details?"

"It's all in here." The lady reassured him, holding up a folded envelope. Unwrapping his fingers from around Buffy's body Angel took the envelope and then pulled Buffy closer to his chest. Wondering as he did so how she was managing to sleep through this entire conversation.

"Well, ah, thank you." Angel said hoping to draw the conversation to a close, and nodding stiffly the woman headed back into her apartment while Angel turned to face the stairs. Sighing he began to mount them again.

Having wrapped Buffy up in their bed Angel snuck back to the living room and picked up the phone, switching on the table lamp he collapsed on the sofa. There was so much to do and so little time. Breaking the seal on the letter from Willow first skim reading the contents he sighed again. She hadn't said much, just that she thought it best to stay close to him and Buffy if she could help, that she'd gone to stay with a friend, and that they should call her as soon as they got back. Pulling the legal pad on the table closer Angel started to write down everything that needed his attention urgently and possible solutions. Seeing the resulting eighteen double-sided pages he almost cried in frustration. Calling Willow seemed the easiest to tackle first, though when she had said to call whenever they got back he was pretty sure she hadn't meant two am which the glowing clock assured him it was.

Dialling the number he listened to the ring tone shriek in his ear for long minutes. He was considering just hanging up and having a go at something else on the list when a click told him the phone had been picked up, there was a long pause then a deep voice muttered "'lo."

"I'm looking for Willow."

"'Kay." There were long minutes of silence punctuated by the muffled sounds of people moving around and talking, a door clicked shut and Willow's voice came over the line.

"Is that you Angelus?"

"Yes." Angel played with the phone cord and glance over at the door through which Buffy was sleeping. He could feel her heart rate increasing and wondered what she was dreaming about.

"Good… I was beginning to wonder whether you'd got my message at all."

"We just got in." Angelus explained.

"Oh, where did you go? Urgh, no that's not the point." There was a pause. "Listen, do you remember I said that when I went to work for the council my best-friend Xander came too?"

"I remember."

"Well, when I was in Sunnydale I went to visit his Uncle, and he was kind of surprised to see me, 'cos Xander told him he was coming back with me. Since we had an argument before we left and he didn't come with me, I can only guess he followed me."

"Is he dangerous?" Angelus growled.

"No!" Willow yelled, there was another pause. "I mean… I don't know. I've known him since we were in diapers, he's my best friend… but since we went to London." She sighed. "He got kind of zealous… that's what we argued about, I was scared about what was happening with Buffy, I knew it was wrong… but he. I don't know, he got irrational – started thinking the council are as great as they think they are."

"Do I need to be looking for him?" Angelus asked again.

"I…" There were some muffled sounds of talking at the other end of the line. "He's a good man, Angelus, but he's kind of confused, and it's making him unpredictable. I wouldn't be worried… but with all of the Council's power behind him. He'll be looking for me and Buffy."

"If he comes after Buffy he's a dead man, Willow." Angelus warned.

"Please, Angelus, please don't kill him." Willow whispered.

Angel sighed. "I won't do anything unless he comes after us… but if he does…" the sentence didn't need finishing.

"I understand."

Willow hung off and the dial tone buzzed in Angel's ear. Flicking to the last page of his urgency list Angel wrote Xander and underlined it. Scribbling out 'call Willow' he picked another task and picked up the phone again.

This time the phone was picked up on the second ring, and the person at the other end was breathing quickly as though they had run to pick up the phone. "Dalton?" Angelus demanded before the person at the other end could say anything. "I want a copy of everything about Kaitlyn from the texts. Send it to me here." He rung off before the vampire could reply and leaning back studied the inky blackness of the night outside the window. He hadn't forgotten what the bitch at the initiative had said about his sister… if Kaitlyn was about to arrive on the scene things could be about to get a whole lot worse.


	17. My Beloved Monster

Part Seventeen –

And like a little girl cries in the face of the monster that lives in her dreams, is there anyone out there 'cos it's getting harder and harder to breathe

          Waking from her dreams Buffy felt the warm rays of sunlight dance across the bare skin of her arms and wished for a moment she was still in Sunnydale. Where in the little she had seen of it she had been assured that there was a hell of a lot more green open spaces than there were to be found in LA. But on the minus side… people trying to kill her. Still, she mused it would have been nice to be able to go out doors and lay in the gardens of the mansion, feel the sun dancing across the skin and warm her with a thousand gentle touches. But she had been cold inside for a long time, and the sun did little to warm her.

          Battling with a big-bad that was stuck in your head sucked, Buffy decided as she slipped out of bed, glancing back she watched as Angel slept. He was breathing, out of habit she supposed, and the ring was still on his finger, so that as the rays of light touched his chest they did nothing but make her notice how pale he was. Running a hand through her hair she wrinkled her nose at how gross it was, she hadn't felt so awake in months… that fact that she remembered little of the night before meant she'd probably be doing her marvellous channelling thing again. She thought sarcastically. She wondered for a moment why Angel wasn't nearly as affected as she and Willow were… well he was more affected than them so far as the actual bonding went. But whatever it was that was trying to kill her from inside her brain out didn't seem to affect him at all. Shrugging she dismissed the thought and headed for the shower, she was feeling too cheerful today to dwell on demons and darkness.

          When Angelus woke later Buffy was not in bed with him, and he missed the warmth of her skin curled up against him. It was strange too to feel the sun on his face first thing in the morning, something he had barely experienced in hundreds of years. He was still struggling to fight his demons run away instinct and enjoy it. Slipping out of bed he slipped on some leather trousers and wandered into the next room. Buffy was curled up on the sofa facing the window, one of his books open on her lap she cradled a steaming mug of coffee and her wet hair was dripping all over the sofa. He tried not to wince at the thought of the book getting wet.

          Heading over to her he dropped a kiss in her hair before heading to the kitchen and getting some blood out the fridge, he took a sip before pouring the rest into a mug and sticking it in the microwave. He suppressed a laugh at what Spike would say if he saw what he was doing. When the microwave told him the blood was warmed up he pulled the mug out and joined Buffy on the sofa. Studying the skyline for a few moments he glanced at Buffy when she didn't say anything.

          "What are you reading?" he finally asked.

          It was a moment before she took in what he said "Uhm…" She glanced down at the book. "Oh… I've no idea. I was just thinking."

          "What about?" He asked taking a sip of blood.

          "You know… this thing, that's in the link… I just…" She shifted her position so they were facing. "I don't understand why it's having such an affect on Willow and I and it's doing exactly nothing to you."

          Angel opened his mouth to reply and then shut it again. "I don't know." He finally admitted. "But it might help us find out what ever it is." Eyeing the heavy morning sun for a moment Angel sighed. "I'll go ring Dalton there might be something in the prophecies."

          "We should get in touch with Giles and Wesley too, it might help them." Buffy added curling up on the sofa again.

          "And what are you going to do?" Angel teased.

          "Sleep." She shot back stretching lethargically. The doorbell rang, groaning Buffy looked hopefully at Angel who smirked and walked into their bedroom. Sighing she got up and running one hand through her hair went to open the front door.

Pulling the door open Buffy put all her effort into glaring at whoever it was that was visiting at nine am on a Saturday, her redheaded friend grinned back at her.

"Willow." Buffy greeted, face immediately splitting into a grin she enveloped her in a hug. "Hey! What are you doing in town?"

"Didn't Angelus tell you?"

Buffy turned around to see Angelus leaning nonchalantly against a wall. "Willow came by when we were out yesterday, left us a note." He filled in.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Very useful."

He just shrugged. "Coffee?"

"No thanks." She danced on the balls of her feet. "It makes me jittery."

Buffy eyed her suspiciously. "You didn't happen to have some this morning did you?"

Willow laughed. "Uh yeah… but just a little bit."

Smiling wryly Buffy led Willow into the kitchen where Angel was now frying bacon with the phone clamped between his shoulder and his ear. Willow suppressed a smile. "What?"

"It's just y'know… vampire overlord cooking breakfast for his girlfriend. It's kinda funny."

Buffy smiled guiltily. "I know… but hey – I love it. And I'm pretty confident he'll be back to be hacking bits off of demons as soon as he trusts me to be on my own for more than half a minute." Angel chucked a tea towel at her. Catching it without turning round she laid it neatly on her lap. "So Wil, apart from pokin' fun at my guy, what are you doing here?"

Willow shrugged. "My life history part two. There's lots more about the council we haven't covered yet. And as much as I love you guys the goodness about having a free ride in your heads? Kinda worn off. So… life history it is."

"We were just talking about the link actually… trying to work out why it is you and I are doing the freaky channelling thing and Angel's not."  Clicking off the phone Angel served up the bacon before sitting down with another mug of blood. Stealing a bit of Buffy's bacon he dipped it in before taking a bite.

"There must be something different about me and you compared to Angelus." Willow surmised.

"Exactly – Angelus is a vampire but we're all preternatural in our own way. If anything supernaturally speaking I'm more like Angel than you."

Angel nodded. "The first Slayer was made using black magic and demons."

Willow sighed. "Unlike wiccas." She chewed on some bacon thoughtfully. "Well… there's always the obvious."

"That we're girls and Angel's not?" Buffy shrugged. "It seems kinda petty. I mean…" She trailed off and stared at Angelus thoughtfully. "That's it!"

"It's 'cos we're female?" Willow echoed one eyebrow raised in doubt.

"No! It's because we have souls… and Angel doesn't… just a little bit of mine. Whatever this thing is, it's feeding on our souls, Angel doesn't have one so it's not affecting him."

"You have a little of her soul?" Willow echoed. "Well that kind of makes sense, If this soul-sucker is hitching a lift in Buffy a little of it must be in you as well, when it travelled between the two of you it must have got caught up in my magick and spread to me. That's why I can't get out of the link, I'm all tangled up with the demon…" Willow breathed deeply. "The spell I did it's meant to make me live Buffy's prophetic dreams with her… but it's all messed up so it's back fired, and it's just randomly gathering prophetic information… maybe from this demony thing as well as from Powers That Be."

"Why assume it came in through me?"

"It doesn't work the other way round. My link didn't start out being two way… it couldn't have travelled from me to you. If it could have it would have infected all of the Slayers. If it is a soul-sucker, it would have had no reason to possess Angelus."

"I guess." Buffy grudgingly admitted. "Which means the only question is… what the hell is it and where did it come from?"

"Well what happened right before you became vision girl."

Buffy shrugged. "I don't know. Spike said I was channelling something when I was in the initiative… but I don't remember. I was completely out of it most of the time I was there, I don't know if anything they did had any affect."

"It could have… maybe something they did was the catalyst."

"No." Angelus growled in frustration. "It's not that. Buffy, what where you doing before you were kidnapped?" He demanded.

"I was fighting a demon by Éire Shaor… but that was all a set up by the council."

"Before that."

"I…" She trailed off, throat dry. "I was at the Hyperion with Giles… clearing out a nest of demons." Angelus growled getting out of his seat he stalked off angrily slipping in and out of vampiric guise as he fought for control of his anger he braced his arms against the wall.

Now looking frightened Willow shrunk further away from him, and watched wide-eyed as Buffy crept around the table to his side. Putting one hand on shoulder she persisted as he flinched away from her, Running her hand along his arm she worked at his taught muscles with her fingers calming him with her touch. Dropping his arms to his side he faced her, lips curled around his fangs he growled at her… Buffy was undeterred. Bringing her hand to her brow she ran it down the side of his face smoothing the ridges under her touch. "Shh…" She whispered bringing her lips to his in a soft kiss. After a moment his hands crept around her waist and he responded, pulling her body to tighter to his. Kissing his hungrily around his fangs Buffy moaned slightly and smiled. Remembering their spectator she pulled away and pushed Angel back into his seat. Curling up in his lap she pressed one hand against his chest.

"Now… what's wrong?" 

"In the thirties I was working for Aurelius in LA looking after one of our interests, a law firm called Wolfram and Hart. One of their clients was a fear demon. Fear demons play on people's insecurities, incite violence and mayhem and then feed on the emotions it creates. This particular demon was living in the most popular hotel in all of California… the Hyperion. After a while people started noticing that the guests at the hotel never came out quite right. Wolfram and Hart had vested interests in the longevity of the Hotel and asked of Aurelius could just get rid of the demon… outside of the company payroll. The master agreed and I was sent to kill it." He paused taking a sip of blood and ignoring the two girls hanging on his every word ran his fingers over the skin of Buffy's stomach. She pushed him away.

"What happened next."

"In the hotel the demon had driven everything to a fever pitch, when I arrived he turned the guests against me and they hung me from the chandelier in the lobby."

"As in hung… hung?" She asked.

"As in rope round my neck… yes." He shrugged. "I pretended to be dead until they took me to the mortuary, and sent Penn to finish the job. Next I heard everyone was singing the praises of the champion Penn and saying how tragic it was that Wolfram and Hart decided to close the hotel anyway." Angelus fangs shifted back into place. "Penn must've cut a deal with the lawyers, so they'd make it look like he'd beaten the demon."

"How could it still be alive? That was seventy years ago and the Hyperion's been abandoned that long."

"It must've adapted somehow… or been living off anyone who happens to go in. It's not boarded up, there was nothing to stop people going in."

"So they did." Buffy sighed at the thought of the countless hundreds of unknown victims of this creature, who'd undoubtedly only gone in to the Hyperion looking for somewhere well, not very warm, but dry at least to sleep in. She remembered Anne who now ran the teen shelter and wondered how many of her kids she'd lost. "This world is crappy." She muttered abstractedly, running a hand through her hair she got up and stood behind her chair, no longer feeling any of the warmth she'd woken with that morning. It was weird how single conversations could change everything.

"So I guess we should start looking for some kind of exorcism spell, to remove the demon." Willow voiced.

"Yeah." Angel was watching Buffy cautiously. "Bind's compendium might help, we'll need something stronger but more careful than the normal ritual if the demons as knotted up as you say."

"There's a reference in La Demonique. That might be useful."

"There's a copy in Giles' room, it's the door by the window." Buffy said, her voice flat and monotone. Glancing anxiously between Buffy and Angelus, Willow left to find the book.

"Buffy…" Angel started.

"It's okay. We'll exercise this thing, and kill it and it won't hurt anyone again. Then everything will be fine." She swore.

"I know we will." Angel smiled softly. "But I don't know about you being fine."

"Why?" She turned around eyes flashing dangerously.

"Buffy, you are not fine. You where not fine when we met and you're not fine now." She moved to say something but Angel cut her off. "I know demonic possession. I met you a month before you set foot in the Hyperion and you were drinking yourself into a stupor."

"I had a bad day." She muttered. "And, I haven't been drunk since then." She protested.

"It's not about the goddamn drink!" he shot back. "It's about why you felt the need to do that."

"What's this therapy now?" She yelled back.

"I think you need it!"

"Well I can't have it, can I?" She yelled tears welling in her eyes. "I'm not allowed to tell anyone what's happening to me, can't defend myself when people think I'm starting fights and burning down buildings for the fun of it. It's not allowed I - can't - tell - anyone." She emphasised. "I can't-" her breath hitched and she wrapped her arms around herself.

Feeling guilt well up inside him Angel was by her side in a moment, wrapping her in a hug, he held her for long moments before her arms snaked around him, clutching his closer to her body, and she sobbed into his shirt. "You can tell me." He whispered, kissing her hair.


	18. Of Schools and Brownies

Part Eighteen

_been here before, been here forever_

Willow was researching in Giles' room for two hours before Buffy and Angelus heart to heart, and occasionally fist to fist, was over. Sticking her head around the door when the sounds of yelling, crying and breaking stuff was over she found Buffy curled up on Angelus lap. Deciding it was probably safe to come in Willow inched around the door. When Buffy saw Willow she got to her feet and smiled shakily. "Sorry… bout before. I didn't mean to have histrionics to leave you all stranded in Giles' room."

"Research was done… and you guys are okay now… right?"

"Well…" Buffy smiled. "We're getting there."

"Are we gunna do some research then?"

"We could, but I was planning on taking Buffy wound to look at some schools."

Willow frowned. "But it's August, aren't they closed?"

Buffy laughed, "Summer school, where I have spent many a productive summer vacation."

"Oh I kinda always graduated… except the last two years… which I didn't."

"You didn't graduate?" Buffy echoed.

"The initiative flew from England to my career fair specifically to recruit me. I was young, it was a lot of money…" she trailed off.

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't this last year?"

"Uh, well, yeah, but a lot's happened since then!"

"You can come too if you want." Angel offered.

"Sure. But, do you mind if I call Oz and tell him where I'm going?"

"It's fine." Buffy assured her, handing her the phone. "So long as you tell me everything about this guy you've been living with."

Willow smiled secretively.

Slipping into the leather seat of Angel's convertible, Willow laughed quietly to herself, twisting round from her position in the passenger seat Buffy raised one eyebrow. "What's so funny now?"

"Vampires. Convertibles."

Buffy smiled. "Angel has this ring that makes him all impervious to sunlight and stakes… his hair's brown. I never knew that until I saw him in the sun the first time."

"You're undead lover defies the laws of his nature and the only thing you notice is that his hair is brown?"

"Then I yelled at him." Buffy admitted. "Which I seem to be doing a lot."

Willow shrugged. "I'm not surprised, given the situation."

"What do you mean?"

"You may know Angelus… biblically, and I suspect on the most raw emotional terms, but you don't know him in a day to day way, and yet here you are being around him 24/7, if there wasn't yelling involved I'd die of shock."

Smiling softly, Buffy nodded. "I guess… I just. I woke having been unconscious for a week… and there was Angel… I sort of thought that was my happily ever after." She smiled wryly. "I guess that was naive."

Willow shook her head. "You love Angel, he loves you. You're free to be together… you've got your happily ever after, you just haven't quite realised it yet." Slumping back into her seat Buffy mused over what Willow had said. She sensed Angel before he arrived, walking over to the car, he was holding a leather briefcase which he stowed in the trunk before sliding into the front seat. Seeing her tense expression, he leaned over and kissed her gently, eking a smile from her lips. Leaning back into his seat he stuck the key in the ignition and pulled the car out of it's parking spot.

"Say, Buffy, why do you call Angelus - Angel?"

Angelus growled.

When Buffy and Angelus arrived back from their impromptu shopping for schools trip Buffy was somewhat unsurprised that his favourite had been an all girls catholic school run by nuns. Unfortunately it was predominantly also a boarding school so she felt confident that she had avoided that horror.

Buffy's personal favourite had been the only one that hadn't started her tour of the school with "We always search our visitors…"

Slipping off her coat and dropping it over the back of the couch, Buffy stretched languidly, watching the muscles on Angel's back flex as he started skimming through the books on the shelf.

"Research again?"

"Till you agree that Holy Trinity was the best… yep."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "You just wanna see me in one of those tartan skirts."

Twisting to face her he grinned wolfishly. "That may be a factor… yes."

Before Buffy had a chance to respond the doorbell rung. Brow furrowing Buffy glanced at Angel, and then at the dusk tinting the sky through the huge living room window. Pausing to slip a knife from the drawer of the table by the door into her hand, she held the knife behind her back and cautiously opened the door.

Seeing her dark haired friend behind the door, she chucked the knife to Angel behind her back, who deftly caught it, and hid it behind some books on the bookshelf. Opening the door wider she motioned for the woman to come in.

Studying her Angel surmised that she was older than Buffy, early to mid twenties probably, and given her striking resemblance to the child grasped in one hand she had clearly gotten pregnant young.

"Oh gosh! I'm so sorry!" Buffy gushed. "I completely forgot it was my turn to come get Connor."

The girl shrugged smiling tiredly. "It's okay, I was trying to get in touch with you to say I was going to be late anyway." Spotting Angel she quirked one eyebrow. "Suddenly getting the feeling that you didn't mind."

"Wha-" following her line of sight Buffy blushed a little. "Oh, hey, this is Angel, Angel this is Harry. She's Doyle's ex-wife, and this is their son, Connor."

"Nice to meet you." Angel replied, all charm and politeness.

"And you." Harry motioned to Buffy, "Can I have a word with you?"

Angel nodded, "I'm gunna go, call Spike and Faith." He excused, disappearing from the room into his and Buffy's bedroom, something that didn't go unnoticed by Harry.

"You know he's older." Buffy nodded. "And it looks like you're pretty serious."

Buffy smiled secretively. "We are."

Harry sighed. "Am I allowed to warn you that I'm not seeing sunshine and roses in your future?"

Buffy shook her head. "Nope, mom's coming to visit, in… two days and I think she's going to bags all lecturing rights." Smiling reassuringly she took Harry's hand. "Honestly, Harry, I know what I'm doing. That it's going to be hard, and that no one approves, but I'm going to do it anyway, I love him. How could I not?"

"If you're sure." Harry sighed, squeezing Buffy's hand lightly before dropping her hand and running her own through her hair. "If Doyle has a chance could you ask him to call me? As much as it's easier that he's never here when I drop Connor off, there's some stuff we need to sort out." She changed the subject.

"Sure." Hugging they swapped goodbye's before Harry left and Connor, who had implanted himself infront of the TV, twisted to face Buffy excitement written all over his four year old face. "What are we gunna do this week?"

"Hey you know what comes first!"

Connor rolled his eyes. "No, I didn't tell mom that Dad's not here."

"Well done." Buffy smiled, "Hmm… do you want to try cooking something?"

He considered this. "So long as it's got chocolate in."

Flipping the TV off, Buffy switched on the stereo instead and led Connor into the kitchen. "How's learning elvish going?"

"Not bad. Oantë, Legolas."

"What does that mean?"

"Go away, Legolas." Buffy laughed. Picking up Connor and sitting him on top of the counter she pulled out a cookbook and put it on his lap. Pulling out her own book, she was startled when a pair of hands slipped round her waist and Angelus cool lips kissed her neck. Moving away he sat on the table opposite Connor, stepping away, Buffy watched the interaction between the two, Connor assessed Angelus with almost predatory intelligence, as if considering how Angelus might change things between himself and his Aunt. Angelus in turn just dared the five year old to challenge his presence. "Hey." Connor finally said. "I'm Connor."

"I'm Angelus."

"But you can call him Angel." Buffy put in, Angelus just scowled.

"Hey! You don't get called the baby!" Connor consoled.

An hour later the three of them where curled up on the sofa eyeing the now empty plate of brownies wistfully, somehow hoping that the plate would magically refill itself. The plate wasn't cooperating. Sighing Buffy stood up and held out her hand to Connor. "Time for bed mister. Go wash up and get in bed and I'll say goodnight in a minute." Nodding tiredly, Connor picked up his bag from the door and shuffled toward the bathroom.

Hearing the door click shut behind him, Angel pulled Buffy back down on the sofa. "I didn't know Doyle had a son."

"Yep, married and divorced young, when Harry's discovered about his other less human half. But the council are trying to kill Doyle so he can't be around Connor, they'd have no objection to killing him too." She sighed, playing with the hem of her shirt. "Especially if Doyle's demonic streak is hereditary." Dropping the cloth and looking up at Angel she gave a weak half smile. "The worst thing is Harry can't know I've been looking after Connor or she might sue Doyle for full custody… whatever way you look at it Connor just got thrown into the middle of the biggest nightmare on earth at five years old." Dropping her eyes back to the floor she ran one hand through her hair. "The Watcher's Council are bastards."

"I noticed." Angelus growled.

Connor padded back into the room now dressed in Lord of the Rings pyjamas. "Can you read me Lord of the Rings?" The change in Buffy was immediate, smile fixed firmly in place, she jumped up and held out her hand to Connor, leading him into 'his room' at the flat.

Back on the sofa Angel watched the boy with a thoughtful expression on his face.

TBC…

The elvish is from The Lore Book of the High Elven Tongue. Which I don't seem to be able to link to... if anyone wants to know leave a message I'll email you the site.

Thanks for the reviews, and well I can't reassure anyone without giving anything away… you sort of have to bear in mind that Buffy is possessed… and… well. I can't say anymore. But bear with me and you will be satisfied. (hopefully)

Weasy


	19. Baiting

Before I begin, I would like to point out to a certain reviewer who was arguing about the appearance of Connor given that it doesn't fit within the timeline. Allow me a look of puzzled confusion. I know it doesn't fit with the timeline that's why he's not in anyway shape or form Angel's son… he's not Buffy's either, if that's what you're thinking (She would have had to have been eleven when she gave birth for that to work!). This is an AU fic, and it doesn't correspond with the canon of Buffy or Angel and while there are references it's not meant to, so thank you for pointing it out, but kindly bear it mind that I only ever write AU. Connor is here for a very specific reason though, I assure you, and things are most definitely not as they seem.

On the other hand, thanks to everyone who sent me reviews they are as always - greatly appreciated.

Weasy

Part Nineteen

Remember the times, together we're strong, never give up this life

For the second time in two days Buffy woke with the warm fluffy feeling in the pit of her stomach that hopefully signalled the beginning of the end of Buffy's-worst-year-ever. She didn't have much time to contemplate this though, because her waking was mired by the shrill ringing of her doorbell. Slipping out from under the covers she idly ran one hand through her hair. Buffy seriously doubted her doorbell had seen this much action since it was installed, slipping on one of Angel's shirts and a pair of jeans she watched Angel's sleeping form enviously. He slept like the dead, which he was, but that was no excuse to not be woken by the doorbell's incessant ringing. What ever happened to vampiric super hearing? She was musing over the possibility that he was just trying to annoy her, as she pulled open the door - only to promptly have all rational thought shut down and her jaw drop open in shock.

Coming to her senses she squealed. "Doyle!" and ran into his arms. Wrapped up in his embrace she felt the soft warmth of his frame holding her tight as he kissed her hair. Closing her eyes Buffy revelled in the moment of comfort her brother offered and wished she had always known him… that he'd never gone away, and that he would never leave again. Feeling Doyle move away a little, she opened her eyes and met his concerned gaze. "What's goin' on?" he demanded.

Poking him she glared right back. "What do you mean what's going on? You're the one who just turned up… maybe you shouldn't be here Doyle… not around me."

Doyle shook his head. "I'm not worried 'bout that. I'm worried 'bout you."

Her nose scrunched up in confusion. "What?"

"Visions." He said, tapping one finger to his head. "Mighty useful things, when you're not being fed them by the Watchers' Council." Glancing into the depths of the apartment. "I… is this the right weekend… is Connor?"

"Sleeping."

"Can I?" She nodded, but he barely waited for this agreement before he brushed into the apartment, and seeking out his son's door he crossed the apartment in the briefest of moments, pausing for a moment, he surveyed the solid wood before gently pushing it open. Pushing the front door closed Buffy watched him take in the vision of his baby sleeping, she could only guess what he was thinking… seeing how much he'd grown wondering what he'd missed, his obsessions had all changed over the last year, Lord of the Rings and medieval knights had taken the place of the starship battles he used to wage all over the apartment. Doyle had missed out – whether he had any control over that fact or not.

Distracted by her brother's obvious distress she barely noticed when Angel joined her side, and slipped his hand into hers. Her skin jolted at the touch, and she was instantly reassured, turning to Angel she studied his eyes, they weren't anxious or overly concerned or oddly, even terribly reassuring, just filled with the usual lust and anger… but underneath… underneath there was the tiniest shimmer of something else… something remarkably similar to compassion. Pulling in her breath sharply, she barely noticed as Angel ran his spare hand down her cheek asking her if she was okay. The vampire Angelus that she knew and loved was appearing less and less often in Angelus behaviour… instead he was becoming more caring and considerate, anger tempered and bloodlust reigned in. He really was becoming the Angel she deigned to call him, though his demon was putting up a terrific fight. Was it possible? She knew he loved her in his own way, but was he beginning to love her in the human way too?

"Buffy?" He repeated.

"Uh… yeah." Smiling distractedly, she shrugged before flashing him a lightning smile. "Sorry, just thinking."

"Okay." He raised an eyebrow. "So who's the guy?"

"Oh!" The blood that had previously drained from Buffy's face flooded back and tinged her cheeks crimson. "That's Doyle. My brother."

"I remember." Turning his gaze back on Doyle he assessed him, with the in-built instinct of a born warrior. "I can leave." He finally murmured.

Buffy shock her head. "As much as I'd like to I can't hide you forever." She pulled a face. "God, mom is going to be here tomorrow… I hope it's a funny hernia." She added bitterly.

"Having Doyle on our side before then would help, I take it?"

"Yup." Shaking her head. "All I can hope is that he doesn't know as much about us through visions as Willow knew through the link."

Angel considered this for a moment.

Then wondered just how immortal the Gem of Amara made him.

Glancing back at Doyle he saw he was now eyeing him suspiciously. Feeling his mental hackles rise up at the nerve of the boy to question his presence with his mate, he purposefully schooled his features. He couldn't use charm tactics with this one, judging by his messy appearance he would never be vain enough to fall for those, but there where always ways to get people on his side. Buffy was sending be yourself vibes at him through the link, as her hand tightened its grip on his. He almost laughed at her, if he was going to make Doyle trust him he could most certainly not be the ruthless vampire master he was. Trying not to slip into his vampiric guise, Angelus mentally growled. Time to be Angel.

As it was they managed to avoid discussing Buffy's living arrangements for a while, the three of them settled down on the sofa and Doyle told them everything that had happened to him since he had been forced to go into hiding almost a year before.

At first he'd gone to Milwaukee figuring no one would ever suspect anyone to run to such a sincerely ordinary place, however he quickly realised that this was the very fault of the place, he stuck out far too much and headed off to New York instead, things where much easier there. Well sort of. Having very little money except the small amount he had saved and the little Buffy had been able to spare from what was left of their father's accounts he had rented a small apartment in one of the less fabulous parts of town and watched it snow. When Doyle spoke about the snow anyone listening to the conversation would've thought he was his own six-year-old son not his twenty-four-year-old self, but then he'd lived in Los Angeles his entire life and he'd never seen snow, past the very occasional sleet that turned into brown mush and melted as soon as it touched the ground.

But it snowed in New York so that's where he stayed, he managed to get a job helping the owner of the shop below him, it was all manual - he made little money and required none of the college education he had fought his father for the money to receive, but he daren't try for anything bigger, too scared the Watcher's Council might get wind of him. If they found him, Buffy would have been cut off completely from the Powers That Be and would've been entirely blind in her fight against demons and darkness. Knowing she was already neatly digging her own grave, desperate as she was to find some way out of the isolated life she led, he refused to take away the only help she had. Even if that meant they lost each other.

He was trying to work out how to post the presents he'd bought for Connor's birthday to him without anyone being able to track the post when he was hit by the vision of Buffy by Éire Shaor. He rang Giles and told him the details, Buffy'd then gone out to fight the demon. Three days later Doyle got a second vision which for the first time in his life showed him the past. A red-headed shaman at the Watchers Council had sent a false vision to him, to set up Buffy to be captured by Initiative soldiers, when Doyle was finally able to get in touch with Giles they agreed that there only option was to get Angelus to help find Buffy.

"Why did you go to Angelus?" Buffy asked Doyle quietly, there was no regret in her eyes, only curiosity and the faintest trace of reprimand.

"Giles found the all tha books on him under your bed, it was obvious you'd met." He replied a sparkle of amusement in his eyes.

Buffy blushed, "Why was he looking under my bed anyway?" She mumbled.

Doyle rolled his shoulders. "He was looking for drugs." He replied seriously.

"WHAT!?" Buffy yelled jumping out her seat in shock.

Angelus eyes flashed yellow in warning at Doyle. "Don't you think I'd've known if there were drugs in her blood?"

Doyle shot to his feet as well. "You drank her BLOOD?!" He shouted.

Angelus just leaned lazily back against his seat, uncaring that Buffy, who was now standing behind Doyle had stopped looking quite so dazed and confused and was now violently motioning that he should shut up. "Well…" Angelus drawled. "It's what vampires do when they have sex."

Buffy made staking motions behind Doyle's back, Angelus just twisted his lip into a smirk, one eyebrow raised and she stopped abruptly slamming one hand against her forehead instead.

Doyle was very, very pale. "Buffy…" he croaked.

Trying to smile demurely Buffy moved into Doyle's line of sight. "Yes, Doyle."

"Please tell me he's just trying to piss me off."

"He is trying to piss you off." Buffy agreed, not quite meeting Doyle eyes.

"But he's not lying either." Doyle finished.

Buffy said nothing.

"What did you expect demon-boy? You knew we where mated."

Doyle's own demonic guise flashed up to meet Angelus' yellow eyes. Very slowly, Angelus fangs shifted into place, and then with practiced control the rest of his features followed. They stared each other down for long moments before Doyle moved away. Going into the kitchen Buffy heard the sounds of running water through the ajar door, moving quickly to Angel's side she pushed him back into his seat.

"You are such an asshole!" She hissed.

"You told me to be myself." Angelus shot back cockily.

"I did not!"

"You thought it, it's the same thing."

Buffy glared at him. "Well do me a favour and stop it. If this is a dry run for tomorrow you'd better get your sunscreen packed 'cos that ring's going bye-bye, and you are going to be going for a flying lesson. Out the window." Angelus just smiled. Buffy huffed. "Fine enjoy sleeping with Spike then, 'cos if you're not going to listen to me you're not coming anywhere near me either."

Angel was instantly on his feet. "Shh, lover, don't be so temperamental. I was just teasing the boy."

Buffy sighed, one ear carefully listening to he brother's movements in the adjacent room, anxious that he shouldn't walk in on their argument. "Why are you being like this anyway? I never figured the Master Angelus as a throw himself to the lions type."

"What can I say, I like it when you're angry." He whispered, she hadn't noticed til now but his body was now only a hairs breadth away from hers and his breath tickled her skin as he spoke against her neck. "I'm sorry…" He murmured softly. "I don't see why our lives have to be everyone else's business."

Kissing the smooth wall of chest in front of her Buffy sighed and wrapped her arms around him. He might be treading on extremely thin ice at the moment, but at least he was hers. It felt as though she'd been his forever, and the thought warmed the cold that seeped from her broken heart. Eternity with Angel was certainly looking like an interesting prospect. "Doyle knows where he stands. Now please stop being such an asshole and be nice for once. It won't kill you." She whispered against his chest.

"Do you promise?" He replied teasingly.

She rolled her eyes.

Doyle moved back into the room a few moments later. His demon side had disappeared. His pink tinged face and dripping wet hair pointed to the fact that he had just stuck his head in the sink to make it go away, a trick he had picked up for when he was too angry for sheer power of will to work.

"When mom comes tomorrow I'm not going to jump up and down in favour of him." He said, spitting out 'him' as though it where a dirty word.

Buffy nodded. "I'm not asking you to do that."

He sighed. "Then what do you want?"

"Just… to be honest."

"I had a son at eighteen years old and rushed into a marriage that nearly drove myself and my ex-wife off the rails."

"I know."

Doyle shook his head. "No you don't. You can't. Not unless you've done it."

"I'm seventeen years old and my entire existence is linked to that of one man." Buffy paused, drawing in a ragged breath, her hand clutching blindly to catch Angel's. Seeing her fear, Angel drew closer to her side, and ran one hand down her arm supportively, instantly dropping his earlier arrogant attitude. "I have done what you did Doyle."

Doyle opened his mouth to say something but Buffy waved her hand to stop him and after a moment's pause as she tried to order her thoughts. "With all the regrets about your marriage to Harry do you ever regret knowing her? Or having Connor?"

Doyle's brow furrowed. "Never."

"And I don't regret meeting Angel, or this link we've got between us and all the problems we've ever so neatly fallen into, the ones that've just happened. The ones that are my fault… and the ones that are his. I can't regret them, because if I did I would regret loving him, and I can't do that."

Behind her Angel's face gave nothing away off his feelings, but she felt for a moment a warm flush of pride spreading through the link. "If you aren't okay with this then I understand. But there are more important things going on, and they matter more then whether you approve or not."

"An' I understand that." Doyle agreed. Shaking his head, so that the water droplets in his hair flew out around the room, he spread his arms wide. "Where do you need me?"

TBC...

Whaddya think?


	20. The Batcave

Reviews were very much appreciated… and on with the show… As a random fact I calculated that if I printed Pulse as a book, or at least as much as I've written so far, it would be 200 pages long already!

Part Twenty

Do you know what you want? You don't know for sure. You don't feel right, you can't find a cure

They actually managed to get some work done over the rest of that day. The Hyperion had been bought, though it was too late, Buffy moaned for when her mother came to visit the next day, her dad's tiny three bedroom apartment already had four people sleeping in it, it was Summer Vacation and Connor was due to stay the entire week, five people was going to be more than an uncomfortably tight fit.

Willow and Oz, who had made a fair effort to learn about the occult once he discovered he was a werewolf, turned up around lunch time with a bunch of printouts from websites and piles of books. Buffy quietly panicked about how to hide her preternatural activities from her mother, and obsessively cleaned things. Doyle taught Connor how to research properly and how to hide demonic artefacts from Connor's mother and impending grandmother.

"Doesn't this feel dishonest to you?" Willow asked him as they watched Connor locating all the thin tall books on the bookshelves that could easily conceal a talisman or have another, less suitable for human eyes, book stacked behind.

"I've been hiding my demon side all my life. It'll never feel strange to me." Shaking his head he laughed. "Besides, if I get him to do this now, he's trusting enough to tell me all the hiding places he finds, that way when he's hiding letters from girlfriends instead of Diagon Spheres I have free range over where to look."

"Cunning." Oz agreed.

A moment later Connor bounded up and jumped into Doyle's lap. "When do I get to learn to fight?" He demanded.

Doyle considered this. "At about… a quarter to… NEVER."

Copies of all the prophecies had finally been delivered by Faith, before she headed to the hotel, the photocopies were spread out all over the living room, Angel poured over them writing out translations for the others and muttering to himself as he cross-referenced all allusions to immortal warriors.

Only one thing was clear. There where constant references to three. Three sheep killed by three snakes that gave birth to a litter of three dragons… it was bizarre, and completely incomprehensible. While there where definitely references to Buffy and Angel as 'the last opposites united in this time or the next' it was unclear whether this was a good or bad thing. It was virtually impossible to detect who anyone was within the text either, there was the death-bringer whom Buffy and Willow had been channelling prophecies about for weeks, an immortal warrior, a stranger 'in the darkness', a key and there where various references to someone 'not undead yet not of the living'.

All of which was fine excusing the fact that they had no idea what related to who… the immortal warrior could've been Buffy or Angel, and the death-bringer could've been any of them, really, because how where they to know who was going to go against them in the final battle? No one could really even work out if it was the final battle either with all of the references to the end of the world being eternal.

As evening ticked ever closer they where forced to pack up all of the resource material into the back of Oz's van and Willow, Oz, Doyle and Angelus headed over to the Hyperion to set up their new base of operations in the only habitable room there, so that the apartment would be occult free for the arrival of Joyce, Buffy's mom.

Buffy stayed behind to prep Connor on things he wasn't allowed to say in front of his grandmother.

And whist the couch.

Pushing the door open with the tips of her fingers, Willow tried to recall exactly why she'd volunteered to go into the hotel first while the guys carried the stuff over. Catching her first glimpse of the inside she was glad at least that it wasn't nearly so dark and dingy as Angelus had warned it might be, the builders had strung yards of thick cable lights all around the banisters and from the rafters of the ceiling, so that the foyer glowed like the inside of a Christmas tree. It also meant she could see the builders clearly and she was extremely glad to see that they definitely looked human, it was probably just a precaution in case Joyce decided to visit the site of her daughters new home, and Willow was relieved for the first time that Joyce was coming to stay.

The hotel was beautiful, in the soft glow of the lamps, reds and golds played across her senses and as she stepped in she let one hand float along the velvet chair backs. A large crash brought her flying back to reality, a stream of curses flew between two workmen who'd dropped a pile of chairs on the balcony above the foyer. Above them a painting of two angels flickered in the light, seeming almost menacing locked in the shadows as they were.

"Willow!" A shout echoed, and spinning around the red head saw Faith picking her way through the builders toward her.

"Hey." Willow waved feeling a wave of relief crash through her body. When Faith reached her side Willow resisted the urge to throw her arms around her in a hug, knowing Faith's jumpy nature, and settled on just beaming happily instead. "Got somewhere a couple of superheroes in training can prepare to save the world?"

"Ahuh, we've been sorting it since I dropped off the papers with Angelus this morning." Motioning that Willow should follow her Faith headed into the crowd of builders again yelling over her shoulder as she did so. "You're lucky y'know, you're getting the only habitable room in the whole hotel!"

"Perks of the job." Willow agreed, glancing behind her she saw Oz hovering by the door, casually assessing the room with a box tucked under one arm. Finally spotting her he held Willow's gaze for a long moment before stepping fully inside the hotel and quickly crossing the expanse of the lobby toward Willow, a few steps behind was Doyle and a few steps behind him was Angelus.

"How d'you convince the boys to do all the work?"

"I used my feminine wiles." Willow replied flatly, suddenly unsure about her presence in the hotel, her skin was crawling… sensibly she knew the fear demon wasn't in the hotel anymore, he was in her mind instead, and perhaps that was why she felt so drawn to the place, drawn to the dark corners and shadow enclaves, the Hyperion didn't feel like Christmas anymore.

The train of people stopped suddenly behind Faith at a patch of wall under one of the staircases. Puzzled, Willow opened her mouth to ask why they'd stopped, when Faith pushed the wall with her fist and the wall swung inward, gasping in surprise Willow studied the wall more closely and realised it was simply a wooden fake - the door simply a hinged panel. Glancing inside they could see a few over stuffed armchairs and a long dining room table surrounded by a dozen tall backed chairs. Excepting the fake wall at the front, the other walls were rough cut stone, partly obscured by tall stacks of cardboard packing boxes. An empty fireplace sat at one end of the room, and the grate that sat inside was rusty and bowing.

"Voila." Faith said with a flourish grinning at the shock on Willow's face. "One extremely easy to hide secret research room."

"Definitely." Oz agreed.

"Well done, Faith." Angelus echoed, then motioned for the others to go in, once they had and where milling around the room glancing at the contents of the boxes, and dropping those they carried in a stack by the door, he turned to Faith. "Is Spike here?" he asked her quietly.

"Yes, of course."

"Send him here, I need him to collect something."

Nearly an hour later Doyle sat in one of the velvet armchairs with his feet propped up on another, a book open in his lap, he'd stopped reading a while ago, the text was difficult to concentrate on, after you'd read the same thing for the hundredth time it started to feel more than a bit pointless. He surveyed the ragtag group in front of him with practised ease, they were seated around him in varying degrees of absorption with the books they where reading. A witch, a werewolf, a slayer and a vampire. And a demon makes five he thought sarcastically. Individually they where all natural enemies but they worked together in a comfortable companionship with each other, even Oz who was new to everyone but Willow was readily accepted into the group so long as he was willing to help, he broken the straining ice a while earlier by commenting that their new hideaway bore more than a passing resemblance to the batcave. For a moment he studied Oz, bright blue hair, punk rock T-Shirt… with a poet's attitude, his head was bent deep over his text, while one hand clasped Willow's hand. These people where thrown together because the world was ending and yet they weren't drifting along in utility friendships preserved only because if they didn't the world would end… they really seemed to care. It was difficult for Doyle to get his head around.

The clinking off the latch brought Doyle's attention to the door just as it swung open. Spike, the bleached blonde vampire he'd met earlier, swaggered in, black leather duster billowing in a non-existent wind and a bemused Doyle wondered if he'd perfected his way of walking simply to create that effect. Behind him walked an older man, with brown slightly wavy hair that was greying slightly at the edges, and wearing a suspiciously tweed looking suit.

"Giles!" Doyle laughed, appreciatively, and before he'd really registered what he was doing, he was on his feet and wrapping the older man in a manly hug. "I thought you where in London?"

"Just got back." Stepping into the room, the man behind him was revealed, younger but with the same style of dress and way of holding his posture, this guy was greeted by a wave from Faith, both of them took seats at the table.

"Shall we start with introductions?" The younger man suggested. "I'm Wesley Wyndham-Pryce, I'm Faith's Watcher. This is Rupert Giles."

"Buffy's Watcher." He finished.

"You know Willow, Angelus and Spike…" Faith filled in, "but the guy with the blue hair is Oz, and this is Doyle."

"Of course!" Wes breathed. "I've heard a lot about you from Buffy, could you-"

"Hey," Willow interrupted, "tell us what happened in England first, cross-examine later."

"How are the beloved Council?" Faith asked sarcastically.

"Dead, mostly."

TBC…

Not terribly sure about this part... but if the plot must!

Thought it was about time to round-up where lyrics are coming from again… hmm bit of a random mix actually.

Parts 11-20 lyrics from:

11:_ In a cold month, in that room, I found reason for the things we had to do_

Rolling Stones or possibly Simon and Garfunkel, I haven't been able to track down which.

12:_ They come, they come, to build a wall between us_

Crowded House – Don't Dream it's Over

13: _like a rat in a maze the path before me lies, and the pattern never alters, until the rat dies_

Simon and Garfunkel - Patterns

14:_ though hate ain't cheaper it's built to last_

Peppercorn – Free Love

15: _I want you, I need you, I've gotta be near you_

Deep Purple – Strange Kind of Woman

16:_ I can't read you I wish I could what's going through your mind? I can't touch you your hearts protected I_ _get left behind_

Daniel Bedingfield – I Can't Read You

17: _And like a little girl cries in the face of the monster that lives in her dreams, is there anyone out there 'cos it's getting harder and harder to breathe_

Maroon 5 – Harder to Breathe

18:_ been here before, been here forever_

Another I've no idea, if anyone happens to know send me an email and I'll credit it later.

19:_ Remember the times, together we're strong, never give up this life_

The Rasmus – First Day of My Life

20: _Do you know what you want? You don't know for sure. You don't feel right, you can't find a cure_

Kiss – God gave Rock'n'Roll to you II


	21. All We Know

Hey all, sorry for the slight delay posting this was actually ready to go yesterday and given how much time I spent online yesterday I'm not quite sure how I managed to not post it… but it's here now!

I really would appreciate a few more reviews… I know I have my beloved regulars (recently Out-of-Reality, Brit, Sphynxx6 deserve much much thankfulness on my part), but I'm still pretty curious to see if anyone else is reading this… and if not why not? Constructive Criticism is perfectly welcome.

Part Twenty-One

baby things ain't been so good at home and the people that you loved never cared at all you wanna run away that's all you know

Angelus growled, on his feet in an instant and leaning over the table so his face was mere inches from Giles'. "I told you-"

Giles shook his head. "It wasn't us."

Angelus cocked his head sideway and straightened his back, so he towered over the others in the room. "What happened, Rupert." He demanded.

"We arrived at the Watchers Council four days ago to find that every senior ranking member of the council, and every watcher whose Slayers still held their alliance to the Council had gathered the night before in the conference room to discuss what was to be done about us."

"The Junior staff all went home," Wesley continued, "when they arrived for work the next morning they found every single one of those men dead in the conference room."

Oz blinked. "Well that's convenient."

"But… if it wasn't us, who was it?" Willow mused.

"Not to be rude, but why are we looking the gift horse in the mouth?" Faith argued, "evil people trying to kill us are dead. Why aren't we partying?"

Doyle shrugged. "It does seem like we should be rolling around in happy fun time."

Giles sighed. "Unfortunately, I suspect it's more likely that we must expect dire consequences."

"Do we know anything useful?" Angel asked quietly.

"Only this…" Wesley rummaged in his pockets for a moment before pulling out a grainy black and white CCTV camera photograph. "Quentin's Secretary said that the Council has been acting under guidance from an outside source for the past two months. The orders to have Buffy removed to the Initiative and again to have her killed came from this woman."

Angel studied the photograph, the poor quality of the photograph made the image of the female hard to decipher, but her long curly dark hair and pale skin contrasted enough that along with her height and build, Angel knew her.

"That photograph is from the night of the murders."

"Did you manage to gleam anything from the crime scene?"

Wesley shook his head. "Unfortunately some prat of an under secretary called MI12 they where in and out before we could do much of anything, so we've got nothing more solid than the evidence of some extremely frightened cleaners."

Giles studied Angelus carefully, since hearing of the deaths of those Council men he'd been oddly quiet for a man who had wished them dead so soundly a hundred times before. As if sensing his gaze on him, Angel brought his eyes up to Giles' and they met for a moment, with a note of pure understanding.

"This girl is an Immortal, she can die but as soon as she does she instantly reincarnates and when she does she always looks the same, she lived in Galway in 1877 under the name Kaitlyn O'Connor." Angel fired at them Wesley was hastily scribbling these facts down next to Giles, muttering to himself under his breath.

"Well, I know it's not perfect but we could just kill her, it would get rid of her…" Faith started.

"But only for a while. And then she'd be really pissed." Doyle finished.

"She's dangerous." Giles commented.

"Extremely. And she does not like me." Angel added, sighing a hint of fear flashed through Angelus' pure black eyes. "If she was involved with the Council it is mostly likely the entirety of the last few months was machinated by her. No one is to go anywhere alone until we work out some way to kill her for good." Grabbing his leather duster from where it had been lying over a chair back Angel pulled it on. "I'm going to go check on Buffy and Connor."

Crouched down between the toilet and sink, Buffy rubbed a tooth brush in bleach and started scrubbing the back of the sink again. Watching the bristles run over the limescale stains again and again with no effect she scrubbed harder and harder, barely noticing the way the bristles where now barely touching the sink as they had been pushed aside by the plastic head which equally did nothing to the stains. Hearing a final lurching snap Buffy watched as the toothbrush finally gave up the ghost and snapped in half from the pressure she had been putting it under. Slowly the head floated to the ground and bounced up from the spotless tile, splattering the white with the grey yellow concoction that had been spread over the bristles.

Pulling her knees up against herself Buffy pulled in a tight breath and licked the tears from the salty tracks that had been worming their way down her cheeks for the past hour. Her mother was coming tomorrow… she glanced at the clock. Today, she corrected herself, and nothing was even remotely ready. She was completely and utterly screwed.

She felt him long before she heard his footsteps in the hall, calling her name softly, so as not to wake Connor. It was long minutes before he saw her there half hidden from view, curled up on the bathroom floor. Moving in front of her, he squatted to match her height level, and she watched the muscles in his legs, hidden by a pair of black jeans, shifting to accommodate the change of stance. His fingers were under her chin drawing her face up to his, and his big brown eyes where on hers, boring into her soul.

"What's wrong, baby?" He whispered.

Her eyes dropped. "I'm not ready."

There was a long pause. "For what?"

Buffy smiled weakly. "For my mother. For all the recrimination, and all the implication that it's because I lack a strong male role model." She sighed softly, her breath coming out in a short puff. "I don't know how to defend what we have."

"Does it matter if she won't approve? You told Doyle it didn't."

Buffy paused, twice opening her mouth to say something before she managed to get out. "She's my mom. It's different."

"I never really knew my mother." Angel admitted. "Life wasn't like that… when I was alive."

"What about your father?"

Angelus growled. "We were never on the best of terms." Sitting down properly on the floor, he waited while Buffy crawled into his lap, her head resting on his chest before continuing. "I was the eldest, and I had three younger sisters. The oldest of those was married when I was changed, the others where still at home with the nanny."

"Where you married?"

Angel laughed. "No, I wasn't married. I was much too lazy to go to all the trouble of marrying a girl."

"Then what did you do?"

Angel shrugged, and he felt Buffy's weight shift against his chest as he did so. "Nothing. I was rich I didn't have to."

Twisting in his grip, Buffy faced him, so her legs where slung on either side of his hips. "Did you like it better then? Better than you do now?"

Angel laughed out loud at that. "I could never like a world without you in it, better than a world with you." Feeling his words slip through her senses, Buffy blushed slightly, and leaning in closer she brushed her lips against his.

"Me neither." His hands skimmed down her body, resting on her hips and she sighed softly at the luscious feel of their jeans rubbing against each other. "I really need a shower." She moaned, smelling the overpowering scent of bleach even over his rough Angel-smell.

Faith sat shotgun in Spike's black De Soto as they tailed the witch and her wolfboy back to Oz's apartment. It was weird after two years of seeing Spike calling all the shots to have Angelus suddenly jump in and take charge, as though he'd always been the one that ruled the Order. She knew Angelus had only the vaguest of interest in the ways of the numerous vampire orders, and then only when it amused him to be involved.

Faith remembered the time before, when she'd still been trying to finish high school and the old master, Nest, had haunted her every dream with visions of her death. In the end it hadn't happened that way. Nest and Darla his favoured child had wanted to drag the world to hell with them and Angelus and Spike, favouring the happy meal on legs existence they where living to any numerous hell dimensions might provide, stepped into the fray. Faith only met him briefly that first time, Nest had been right in front of her, her neck in his vice like grip, when Angelus had smashed him round the head with a burning candle to attract his attention.

Faith ran.

Once everything had settled down, she heard that Angelus' now ruled the order, but she never saw him, and after a few brief run ins with Spike they formed their shaky reliance which had rapidly formed into an even less stable relationship.

The more Spike let her in and the more she pushed the council away, the more she understood that being truly evil had far more to do with paperwork than she had ever imagined.

Being sat in the car with him, watching as his eyes constantly watched the cars surrounding them, casually inspecting the passengers for anyone with the dark curly hair and pale skin of the girl in the photograph, it finally really felt like she was fighting the bad guys again.

Buffy stretched languidly on her bed and watched Angelus sated form under half closed lids. Curling her body around his, she laid her head on his chest, and felt his arms automatically warp around her body and pull her closer. Ear pressed against his chest she listened to the rumbling roar of his unnecessary breath and smiled softly to herself. "Are you purring?"

Angel kissed the top of her head. "Maybe."

Flexing the muscles in her arm, Buffy sat up distractedly. "I'm not going to sleep." Her eyes darted around the room. "I want to patrol."

Angelus eyes shot open, and his rumbling purr rapidly became a growl. "No."

Glaring, Buffy crossed her arms over her chest. "Why not?"

"Just not tonight Buffy, There's no one else here - we can't leave Connor alone." He reasoned.

"I suppose."

Moulding herself back to Angel's side, she shifted distractedly. "Tell me about your family then."

He sighed. "What do you want to know?"

She shrugged. "What was your name?"

"Liam O'Connor." He replied shortly, his body tensing, she moved away and he sighed softly, pulling her closer, feeling the need to feel her warm flesh close to him. "My sisters where called Niamh, Alish and Kaitlyn." He added.

"What where they like?"

He tensed again. "There isn't much to say Buffy."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "You grew up with them, something must've happened."

"No, they never really lived." He closed his eyes. "They couldn't. I killed them all." Buffy recoiled from him, and Angelus watched her with black hooded eyes. "I'm a vampire, Buffy. Or did you forget?"

She shook her head vehemently and cautiously lay back down beside him. "That's one thing I've never forgotten."

"Then why don't you flinch when I touch you? Knowing the blood on my hands?" He asked her.

Running the palm of her hand over the lines of his body, she paused when she reached his hand and entwined her fingers in his. "I know the things you did, Angel, I knew them before the initiative took me, before I ever really knew you. And I wanted you anyway, you're different now."

"Why does it matter? Why does **your **soul make a difference?" He asked her angrily, shifting position to face her.

"I love you. That's reason enough for anything." She said and curling into his side once more, she laid one hand over his still heart. "It's not a curse, this soul inside you. It's a gift." She muttered sleepily.

Watching as she drifted into sleep curled up at the side of a self confessed murderer Angel ran one hand through her blonde locks. Maybe it was selfish to have locked her in this bond with him, maybe it was wrong that he now dictated almost every part of her life, with the limitations of how little time they could spend apart now there bond was as severely strained as he had let it become.

Undoubtedly her life would have been better if he had never once been in it, and his would have been a lot simpler too, Spike would have kept running the order, whilst Angel was now reluctantly running it with Buffy's persuasion, he wouldn't be compelled to help the hopeless to keep the girl nestled at his side happy, and he would feel no nagging guilt over the deaths of those that had once been so close to him.

Perhaps he was wrong, he wasn't dictating Buffy's life, long ago he'd let her dictate all of his, though she didn't know it. Curling toward her and shutting his eyes, Angel sighed deeply. He wouldn't have it any other way.

TBC… Again…

Want more? You gotta tell me…


	22. Drums, No Bass

Part Twenty-Two

_You've been cold to me so long, I'm crying icicles instead of tears_ __

Everyone had been kicked out of the apartment for the impending arrival of Joyce, except Doyle and Connor who Buffy hoped might be able to sweeten her mother's mood a little. Reluctantly, Angel had filled her in on what Giles had told them and the little he now knew of Kaitlyn including that she was most likely the cause of everything that had happened to them. The timing was bad, but Buffy had to know, or she wouldn't know to distrust the dark-haired Immortal. Buffy was anxious to meet with Giles as soon as she could now he was back but there where other things that needed to be dealt with first.

Flitting from one end of the room to the other Buffy smoothed her perfectly manicured hands over the skirt of her summer dress, the fabric was plain and simple: white with a pattern of intertwined red flowers that had been purposefully chosen along with the styling of her hair and make-up to make her look as innocent as possible. Feeling the weight of Angel's hand on her shoulder, Buffy jumped at the familiar electric shock that ran through her senses at the touch. Turning round she gave him a nervous smile.

"It'll be fine." Angel assured her, though there was a hint of doubt in his voice.

She nodded, feeling too ill to say anything.

Another fifteen minutes ticked by before the doorbell finally rang.

Nervously stepping up to the door Buffy slid back the bolt and twisted the handle to open the door, pulling it wide she was faced with her mortal foe.

"Hi mom!" She said brightly.

"Buffy!" She cried in return, and the woman through her arms around Buffy in a tight hug.

From his position by the window Angel watched the exchange carefully, Buffy's mom was an older replica of her daughter, small but still taller than five-foot-nothing Buffy, with slightly curly blonde hair, cropped short by her shoulders, she wore a semi-formal and well fitted skirt and shirt and Angel wondered if it was her intention to try and intimidate her ex-husband. He tried to keep in his smile as he wondered what she was going to say when he realised that Buffy's father was long gone. As much as he was not a lover of even the potential fight that was about to happen he would dearly love to get his claws onto the sperm donor otherwise known as Hank Summers.

Doyle and Connor had appeared from the kitchen and had gathered around Joyce as well, pulling her luggage inside and taking turns at hugging the woman. Stepping into the apartment Joyce smiled as she looked around. "This is a beautiful apartment. Did Hank hire a cleaner before I arrived?" She joked, taking in the spotless interior.

"This is all Buffy's work." Angel assured her. Seeing him for the first time, Joyce's eyes flickered in shock.

"Uhm, Mom, this is Angel." Buffy introduced, moving round to Angel's side, she slipped her hand in his and held her breath.

"You're friends?" Joyce questioned.

"Angel lives here, grandma." Connor told her impatiently eager for her to turn her attentions to him. Joyce's jaw dropped and Buffy instinctively winced.

:

Willow sighed into her cappuccino and shut the book with a thump, she was sitting at a café on the corner of Thirty-Third and Belle View, waiting for Oz to finish his band practice and meet her, she'd brought a couple of books on the prophecies but she wasn't having any luck at all. Flicking through the next text she glanced at the photograph of Kaitlyn she was using as a bookmark, it wasn't the one from the CCTV but one Angel had shown them, from when they had briefly met in bohemian Paris just under a hundred years before. She was certainly exceptionally beautiful but there was a coldness in her eyes worse than any she had seen at the Council, she'd managed to track her fairly well through history so far, most references to her where from Europe, there was tell of her in ancient Greece and pagan England, and occasionally as far out as the Middle East and North Africa.

Tracking her was simple really, where photographs or drawings where available, as the girl was always a variation on the same dark hair and pale skin. Most often she had died before she hit her early twenties and she never married or had children, though she was occasionally linked as the cause of various divorces. The name Angelus had given them, Kaitlyn O'Connor was the one and only time Willow could find she'd been married - to a local farmer. She was born in Galway in Ireland, and years later she had been the first victim of the vampire Angelus along with the rest of her family.

The Paris picture was parallel to a passage in the Quortan Chronicles, the author, a Monk later found slaughtered with his entire Monastery, had clearly spoken extensively with Kaitlyn, though it was clear he hadn't written everything down. It was obvious that she was angry with Angelus for what he had done to that family she had once belonged to, but it seemed more than just grief that drove her, two hundred and fifty years later it would have to be. She didn't want him dead, not really. At least, not so long as he hadn't suffered first.

And Willow was beginning to suspect she knew why.

:

The blood drained out of Joyce's face remarkably quickly, taking a moment she coughed quietly. "A room mate?"

You could say that, Buffy thought wryly, but she bit it back, along with her urge to curl up behind Angel. Or under a bed. "Not exactly."

"But he lives here?" Joyce prodded.

"I do." Angel echoed. Pulling in a breath, Buffy felt her eyes drop to the floor unable to take the cool questioning from her mother.

"Where exactly do you sleep?" She asked quietly.

Buffy's eyes danced up to her mother. Glancing round the room she noted Doyle and Connor had made a hasty departure earlier, though whether they had actually left or whether they where hiding out in the bathroom was yet to be discovered, dimly she wondered if they did happen to be in the bathroom what they thought of her cleaning job. Dropping Angel's hand, she took a step closer to Joyce. "With me."

"How… I mean…" Joyce trailed off again. "What the hell are you thinking of Buffy?!" She finally yelled. "You ask to stay with your father, when really you where intending to shack up with some creep?!"

"He's not." Buffy said calmly.

"And what does your father think of this?" Joyce ravelled oblivious, "probably thinks it's dandy. Have a kid, Buffy, he might raise your allowance-"

"How the fuck should I know?" Buffy shot back. "I haven't seen him in two years!"

"Well, unless he decides that…" Joyce trailed off. "What?"

:

Willow smiled as Oz took a seat at the table across from her. "How was practice?" She asked brightly.

Oz shrugged. "lead, drums no base, same as every practice." His lip twitched a little as he watched Willow flick though the books in front of her anxiously, her fingers playing with the corner of the picture of the Kaitlyn. "Find anything?"

"Lots. Nothing we can use." Picking up a text from the corner of the table, Oz flicked through the pages. Pausing he studied the page in front of him for half a second before glancing up at Willow.

"Anything I can do?"

Willow's eyes widened, and impatiently pushing his arm of the book she span it around to face her. "Oh god…" she whispered. "You found it…"

:

"Joyce…" Angel started.

"That's Mrs Summers to you."

Angelus' eyes flashed yellow. "Mrs Summers." He ground out. "Your daughter has been raising herself the last two years, she is beyond capable of making her own decisions, whether they involve me or not."

"Whatever my bastard ex has done, Buffy you are still a child, if Hank is gone then you are coming home with me." Joyce rounded on Angel. "And if you even think of coming after us…"

Angelus laughed hollowly. "Don't even think you can threaten me."

"The law is on my side." She hissed.

Angelus opened his mouth to reply, but with a gentle movement Buffy silenced him, Stepping between her mother and lover Buffy faced her mother. "No it's not."

"Your still a minor Buffy, in case you've forgotton."

Buffy let one hand flutter over her skirt. "I may be a minor but I've lived alone for two years, in the courts eyes it's reasonable grounds for reinstating myself as an adult instead of a minor."

"W-What?"

"I can sue you for custody of me." Buffy reiterated.

"For…" Joyce glanced hopelessly around the room for a moment before her eyes settled on Angelus. "You! This is your fault!"

"I went and got the papers yesterday, Angel didn't know anything about it." Buffy stepped back from her mother. "I'm sorry, but I can't deal with this right now."

"Because it's always the end of the world with teenagers, it's always too much to talk to your mom!" Joyce shot back, "all you're doing is proving that you're still a child to me."

"I haven't had the liberty of being a child in a very long time."

TBC...

Hey guys, I've been on holiday hence my non-postage, but I did finally write the dreaded Joyce scene. I'm… uncertain about it. There may be more, more details will be revelled but I think that's all for the real-time conversation here.

Anybody miss me? Weasy


	23. hexagrams

Part Twenty-Three__

_This time it's far too late_

Buffy and Angel where the only people in the hidden library when Willow and Oz rushed in the following morning, it looked much more like a library now, the stacks of boxes had had their contents stacked on the walls, and the sheer quantity of those books was looking insurmountable. The pair didn't appear to be particularly interested in research though, Buffy was curled up in Angelus' lap in an armchair and both where staring into the red embers of the fire in front of them.

"Buffy?" Willow asked uncertainly, a hint of excitement obvious in her voice. "We've got something."

Shifting round to face them, Angelus met Willow's eyes. "On Kaitlyn?"

"No. On exorcising that pesky ole' fear demon."

Buffy shot up. "Getting rid of it?"

"Without damaging our bond?" Angelus added.

"Yes." Pulling the book out of her bag she showed him the page Oz had stumbled upon earlier.

Glancing over the text Angelus shot her a rare smile, which somehow seemed wicked and decadent even in his honest happiness. "Spike!" He yelled.

It was the next evening by the time they set up the spell, the builders had worked to finish the foyer first and then been kicked out until the next day. A huge six pointed star was painted across the foyer in thick white paint. One of the triangles that made up the star was dusted with a deep layer of black and red powders, the other, a fine sprinkling of grey ash. Candles were placed along each line of the ash triangle and a tall black candle sat at each tip of the other triangle in front of which Buffy, Willow and Angelus would sit. Spike and Faith had disappeared to get rid of any remaining vampires in the building, while Wesley and Giles where pouring over the details of the spell. Oz floated by the door, glancing out into the streets outside at regular intervals. Willow, Angel and Buffy hovered near the watchers.

"So, uhm, how'd the thing with your mom go?" Willow finally asked.

Buffy pulled a face. "Well, she's still in town, but she's spent the last two days with Doyle and Connor."

"Not wonderously then."

"No. But… she won't leave until she gets her way. Which could be worse than the fights." Fiddling distractedly with the hem of her shirt Buffy glanced around. "Are we sure this is going to work?"

"It's going to be fine Buffy." Angel reassured her, taking her hand in his. His other hand ran down the side of her face, and she leaned into his cool touch, kissing his knuckles as they grazed over her lips.

"It's just…" she shrugged. "I've got a major wiggins about this."

Willow laughed. "Trust me this spell will work, I've performed variations on it before, but they were never suitable where primal magic is involved."

"And this is?" Angel clarified.

Willow nodded, "perfect."

Spike finally stumbled in with Faith both looking fairly rumpled. Grinning Faith gave the all-clear sign as Buffy took in a deep breath and shifted her grip on Angelus' hand. "Ready to go?" Willow asked.

"Uhm…" Buffy glanced at Angelus' impassive face. "Yeah. I'm ready." Angelus' nodded his assent as well and Wesley, Giles and Faith each took a seat on the red and black triangle, while Spike moved over to join Oz by the door where they would be acting as security. The other three bystanders each held a slip of paper with the details of various safe guarding spells designed to protect the three caught in the link should anything go wrong.

Oz's twitch of nervousness was the calmest state anyone appeared to be in.

Pulling a grim face, Willow moved over to her black candle and took a seat behind it. The last to move, Buffy and Angelus shared a deep kiss before parting and each going to sit behind their own black candle.

"Ready." Wesley said quietly.

Drawing in a deep breath, Willow nodded. "I shall confront and expel all evil."

"I shall confront and expel all evil." Angel and Buffy echoed.

"Out of marrow and bone," the three chanted together, "out of house and home, never to come here again."

Taking the lighter in hand Willow lit the black candle in front of her, the flame was yellow but burnt almost black from the blood and honey wax the candle was made of. The flame flickered against the cold wind that had sprung up in the foyer and pushed past their bodies restlessly. "Spirit bind those intended, eject those who do not belong!" Willow yelled, anxiously trying to shield the wavering flame.

"Spirit bind and bend with twixt and 'scape the bodies to whom you don't belong!" Angel yelled over the noise.

"Never to come here again!" Buffy finished, hands flat on the stone in front of her to keep her position against the whipping wind that growled around them, moaning in their ears.

The wind stopped.

And the dark flame of each candle extinguished in the still air.

Willow glanced anxiously at Giles who just shrugged "Uh-" But her comment was cut off by her own anguished scream. Dropping to her hands and knees, Willow breathed deeply into the floor, as her skin writhed and buckled over her body she yelled out in agony with every movement.

At the next tip of the triangle Buffy panted heavily, her hands clasping at her chest as her skin rapidly tinged blue.

Angelus lay at the last corner, struggling to crawl toward his mate, as cuts and lesions sprung up all over his skin, while his face switched so fast between his vampiric and human forms each transformation was never quite complete.

Collapsing to her knees Buffy dry reached hopelessly as she crawled toward the centre of the star, meeting the point where the protective triangle crossed there she stopped and threw her head back, screaming once more, Angel and Willow echoed her movements at the other sides of the central hexagon. Collapsing forward, Buffy heaved once more, and a black hissing snake came forth from her lips.

In the background Buffy could hear a thousand screams as the three snakes that had poured from herself, Willow and Angelus met at the centre of the hexagon. Coiling together, Buffy watched helpless as the snakes flesh rippled and twisted and the three snakes became one that grew in size and magnitude until it's rattling head hovered higher than the balcony above them.

"The demon's taken corporal form!" Buffy dimly heard Giles yelling, and struggling to her feet she watched as the snake writhed above them, it's massive coils trapped in the hexagon in which it had formed as Wesley, Faith and Giles chanted desperately to keep it there. The snake's head bowed down to reach her level and red eyes, each as wide as her forearm, surveyed her imperiously as his forked tongue slid past long fangs to tickle the air inches from her stomach.

A sword clattered into her eyeline a few feet from her, and taking her eyes away from the demon for a moment she saw that Angel had been thrown his own sword and was slashing uselessly at the thick black snakeskin.

Rolling away from the snake to grab her own weapon, Buffy yelled out "Go for the eyes!" and began to climb the coiled body of the snake. Hearing a shout, Buffy looked back to see the snake had turned it's attention to Spike and Oz, who where desperately throwing knives and spears at the beasts head as it hovered in front of them. Huddled behind them, Doyle had wrapped himself around the tiny form of his son who was screaming hysterically.

For one irrational moment Buffy wondered at what point her brother and nephew had arrived, but then the body of the snake shifted beneath her and she had to clutch onto it's scales to steady herself. From her position, Buffy could see Willow on one side of the snake lying still on the ground her skin an ashen shade of white, on the other Angel was on his knees clutching a wound to his chest. "Guess it's just me," Buffy muttered wryly.

Struggling a little she managed to pull herself up to the top of the pile of snake body and raising her sword, she stabbed the snake viciously at the base of his 'neck' driving the sword through the flesh as thick black blood poured out from the wound. The snake hissed in anger, its head twisting to face her as she shifted her grip on the sword. She stabbed again this time through one of the demon's red eyes and staggered back as tar like blood poured from the punctured eye. The snake let out a high pitched whine it's coils shifting to throw themselves against the barriers of the hexagon in a desperate attempt to escape.

"I shall totally confront and expel all evil!" Buffy yelled as she raised the sword above her head and drove the blade home. The snake let out one last shudder of energy, throwing Buffy from it's back as it collapsed, finally falling out of the prison of the hexagon as it's head smacked to the ground close to where Faith was sitting.

Panting, Buffy winced as she tried to move, her ribs aching in protest at the fall. Seeing Angel's broken form a little way away from her, she crawled toward him and out of the sight of the others.

Angel was on his knees, half leaning against the still form of the snake, fresh sticky red blood, pooled on his shirt as he breathed deep unnecessary breaths. Throwing his head back, Buffy watched in shook as a white light spread through his body from tip to tip, pausing it's rapid journey only to bleach his yellow vampire eyes white, before billowing out of his mouth and disappearing.

Meeting Buffy's gaze, her shock was echoed in his soft chocolate brown eyes.

TBC…

Hee hee hee. Bet you weren't expecting **that** one. After the very small (**glares at ppl who haven't reviewed**) amount of feedback I got from the last part of this I want to be clear that the last part isn't the last you're going to see of Joyce, even though she's not in this part… she will return! Thanks for comments anyway, I've been thinking about how I could incorporate some of the ideas mentioned a bit later on in the fic.

Every bit of feedback I did get from the last part was greatly appreciated… but well, more please? Do I have to beg?

Weasy


	24. Circle in the Sand

Part Twenty-Four

Oh, baby, anywhere you go, we are bound together I begin, baby, where you end some things are forever

At first Angel thought he'd died, the pain from the gaping wound in his chest had vanished, and the back bending position he'd been in slumped against the dead snake, suddenly felt soft and comfortable, he couldn't hear any of the noise he knew must soaring up around him, and could only see Buffy's perfectly formed face, blood streaked from the fight, her mouth open in surprise.

He blinked and the moment was gone, pain shot through his joints, tighter and more intense than he ever remembered feeling it, though he'd suffered injuries worse than this before. Buffy had overcome her shock, and was by his side, hesitantly trying to bandage up to the blood pulsing from his wounds. Gently pushing her away he smiled weakly.

"Do you want some blood?" she asked quietly.

He paused eyeing the raised scar at the juncture between her neck and shoulder, and the idea of drinking from her twisted his gut a little. "No."

She frowned. "Are you sure? 'Cos you're in a bad way, and super charged healing solution? Wouldn't kill you right now."

He smiled at her concern. "I don't need it."

Buffy gazed at him sceptically but didn't say anything more. Pulling off her shirt so she was clad only in her bra and jeans, she began systematically stripping the shirt into pieces to patch his wounds at least temporarily. Posessively, Angel growled at her near nakedness. She rolled her eyes at him. "Don't be such a prude, it's not like you haven't seen a helluva lot more than this of me before."

"It's not me I'm worried about." He shot back.

Laughing at his jealousy she helped him take off his own shirt. "So give me yours instead." She suggested. He rapidly increased the speed with which he was struggling to take off the shirt with.

Sitting up Willow felt her eyes roll back groggily and fought to keep conscious. The sharp smell of the salts used to wake her sat sweet and heavy in her nostrils and the warm sticky liquid dribbling down her face and into her hair all piled in to make her head feel like it was stuffed full of cotton wool. Taking a moment to get back into her natural rhythm of breathing she smiled weakly at a concerned Giles leaning over her.

Seeing that the Wicca had recovered Faith let out a sigh of relief. "Glad to see you back in the land of the liv… er, well, more undead really."

"Glad to be back." Willow assured her. Glancing around the lobby she caught sight of Wesley and Doyle deep in conversation with a scared looking Connor, and vaguely she wondered when they had arrived, it had been pretty damn scary being anywhere near that snake-thing, but if Connor had seen it, it would have been terrifying for him.

Spike was talking in low tones on a cell-phone, probably hiring a clean up squad… she tried to move her arm and winced. Maybe she should ask him for an ambulance.

Oz was sitting on the floor by the door, eyes locked on her, hands playing with the wooden Tibetan beads he'd been given when he first started to learn how to control his wolfie side. He looked kind of scared. With a little help from Giles she got to her feet and headed toward him. Oz had just had a very potent reminder that he'd been thrown into the wacky world of wicca Willow, and the only question was, was he prepared to stay in it? As the steps between them shortened Oz sent Willow and blinding half-smile. Willow bit her lip trying to hide her smile in response. Things where looking up.

When Buffy and Angel finally moved round the side of the snake carcass and came into view, Angel was looking pretty bad, he was paler than usual and even his smaller wounds seemed reluctant to heal, while many of Buffy's had already disappeared.

"Angelus? Riding a snake did you in?" Spike asked cockily.

Angel muttered "Shut up." Into Buffy's shoulder, and Buffy passed it on with a slight glare at Spike.

"Giles? Could you help me get Angel back to the apartment?"

Giles was stood cleaning his glasses, and as Buffy's voice registered he looked up at her, a little surprised that his independent Slayer had asked his help. "Yes, of course." Slipping the glasses on, he tried to reign in the double take at Angel battered form. Trying not to be too disconcerted by the fact that Angel looked as though he'd just been run over by a battle tank, Giles smiled weakly, and went over to help Buffy support her lover's weight.

A fresh white bandage wrapped around her head and dancing on the balls of her feet as Buffy, Giles and Angel approached her position by the door. Willow glanced anxiously between Buffy and Angel. "Did it… I mean, did you feel it?"

Buffy smiled, a faint glimmer of fire dancing in her eyes. "Yeah… that was something."

"It worked." Willow glowed.

Buffy just smiled.

"I'm going to do the recitation spell tonight to take myself out of the link between yourself and Angel, now the demon's gone there's no risk." She quickly assured them as she felt Angel raise his eyes to meet hers.

"See you tomorrow then." Angel murmured quietly.

And sensing she'd held them up enough, Willow moved away to let them pass, the buzz of success still flying through her veins despite the obvious physical damage sustained in the meantime. But she couldn't help it. She finally felt like she'd done something **right** with her powers.

The first pink rays of dawn where inching through the open curtains as Angel woke up the next morning. Buffy was curled up next to him in one of his clean shirts and he wondered if he'd ever actually get to wear any of his clothes with her around to steal them. Not that he minded, she looked incredibly hot in his shirts. Maybe that was just the whole possessive thing again. He smirked to himself, running one hand down her thigh he carefully shifted her position til he was able to get up, desperately ignoring the way the temperature of her skin rose every time he touched her. He didn't want to wake her just yet. Running one hand through his hair, he figured a shower would be a good way to start the day, and glancing at the small collection of jewellery on the table beside the bed he walked out into the living room, breathing in the fresh clean scent of the morning air as though it was the first time he'd smelt it in two hundred and fifty years.

Breathing deeply as he moved to the bathroom, he glanced down at the still open wound on his chest and dark thoughts clouded his mind as he wondered again why it was being so slow to heal. Stepping up to the sink he ran his hands under the water before rubbing his wet hands over his face. Feeling the rough stubble under his skin he contemplated shaving. Glancing up at the mirror over the sink he doubled over in pain.

"What's wrong _Angel_?" Angel struggled for breath as the pain in his stomach, shot up his spine and settled at the back of his neck, making him arch back in pain. The saccharine sweet voice laughed gently at his position. "But you used to like it when it hurt. I distinctly remember you telling Darla that as you celebrated above our family grave." Angel dry reached into the tiles, the pain blinding and the voice… a billion times worse.

Pulling himself up on his elbows, Angel leaned against the bath eyes darting around the room for the source of the voice.

"Kait…" He ground out… unable to understand why he couldn't see the girl that had haunted his dreams all night.

"Angel?"

Angel sighed at the sound of Buffy's voice, glancing back toward the door he saw her hesitantly standing by the doorframe as she watched his broken form slumped against the tiles. "Angel…" She asked again tentatively.

Angel eyes met hers, and sighing heavily he struggled to pull himself up to his feet and Buffy rushed over instantly to help him. "There's something wrong with me." He muttered his eyes darting over the room and away from the mirror.

Buffy looked up at him, drawing his dark eyes down to hers, slowly she moved her hand from where it had been resting on his forearm to hover over his chest. "Like the fact you have a heartbeat?" Buffy ventured.

"I don't…" he shook his head a little, and his eyes darted away from her again, until she gently touched his face and brought his lips down to hers for one breathtaking moment.

"And the fact you breathe." She sighed against his lips.

"I'm not…" Wrapping his arms around her waist he tucked her head under his chin and breathed in her hair. "When Willow evicted the fear-demon she must've evicted me as well." He whispered in her hair.

Pulling back from him, so there eyes met again she shook her head. "Then why are you still here?" Touching one hand to his lips she smiled. "You where never just a demon in a dead man's body. You where a demon, the body, and what was left of the dead man."

"With a touch of your soul." He reminded her.

"And now you're that dead man living again, with a little bit of me to tide you over." She glanced at him, nose scrunched in thought. "And, I guess, all the memories of the demon."

"But I…" He pulled away from her. "You know what kind of man I was, Buffy."

"I know."

Glancing back at her over his shoulder he shook his head. "You don't, I was never a righteous man, a man worth saving."

"Then I guess someone up there really wants you to learn the error of your ways." Buffy joked lightly, the sterile cleanliness of the freshly scrubbed bathroom made her feel cold, and wrapping her arms around herself Buffy missed his new warm touch. "You're really an Angel now."

Turning back to face her, Angel cocked his head to study her. "How can you love me still? I'm not the same person you knew yesterday."

"I didn't know I had the choice!" She finally cried out in frustration, "Whether you're the demon or the man, or the half-breed between. I try not to love you, but I can't stop!"

"I can't either." Cradling her head in his hands he pressed his lips against hers violently. Pulling away he gasped for breath. "Every time I close my eyes I see them." He whispered.

"See who?" She breathed against his lips.

"See their faces…" he continued as though he hadn't heard her, "their eyes wide in fear, gasping for breath as their skin went waxy pale."

"It wasn't you." Buffy insisted. "It wasn't your fault."

"Then why do they blame me?" He demanded. "I'm just a weak man… I was weak when I let the demon take me, and I'm weak for not leaving you when I should. All I want to do is loose myself in you, and damn the world."

"Well you can damn the world in hospital, 'cos if you're mortal now then that very debilitating wound in your stomach is going to kill you."

Glancing down at it, Angel sighed. "I thought you didn't like hospitals?"

"I'm prepared to go there for you." She smiled. "Just like I'm prepared to ignore that crap you just spouted about not leaving me being weak." Wrapping one hand around his side, she helped him out of the bathroom, flipping off the light as they moved out of the room. "Strong is fighting. It's hard, sometimes it's so hard I can't stand it, but some things are worth fighting for. Like us."

TBC…

Extreme apologies for the lateness, I was going to post this on Monday but I kept not being home… and then there was just badness. The bad news is holidays end next week for me, and long delays for posts are likely to happen more often than they have through the summer.

I wasn't entirely sure about the ending to this, but thought it was better to send out Something than keep you waiting even longer.

Oh, something someone mentioned and I feel I ought to clear up, Riley's dead. He was unconscious in the Initative when it blew up… so he's kinda dead and can no longer be bashed. I'll try for the odd side comment if you're missing the bashing though!

Reviews were very much appreciated! As would more be!

Will try to be speedy wit the next part!

Weasy


	25. Xander

Ah, lateness… very expected totally my fault, and I'm really sorry!

Hopefully some confusion is addressed in this but there is a piece coming up later which should clear up, well, everything really.

Weasy

Part Twenty-Five

Because nobody knows that somebody nearly fell, trading clothes and ringing pavlov's bell, history shows, it really shows it well, well well well

The café on the corner of Thirty-Third and Belleview was fast becoming Willow's home, the owner, a young ex-cop named Kate, turned out to have had more then the odd brush with the preternatural Los Angeles underground. When Willow had first met her, Kate was being attacked by a vampire gang. The small ball of sunshine spell Willow performed saved them both and had formed a fast friendship between the two.

At present Willow was meant to be having lunch with Buffy and Faith. Instead she was sitting at the front of the café, watching Kate wipe down the tables and pushing around the soggy tea leaves in the bottom of her cup with a spoon. Picking up her phone she reread the message from Buffy. It didn't give anything away, just said something had come up and she couldn't make it. God knows where Faith was. Faith was… well, Willow was never entirely comfortable around her, it wasn't that she doubted her loyalty she'd often enough proved her willingness to do anything for her sister slayer. But still, there was something a little off about her… and Willow could tell she didn't like the way she'd been sidelined in the recent events.

Sliding into the chair across from her, Kate raised one eyebrow from under her blonde curly locks at Willow's morose behaviour. "What's up?"

Willow shrugged. "Nothing." Rolling her shoulders again she glanced up at Kate. "Well, yeah, something. But not life in peril stuff."

Smiling secretively, Kate nodded at something behing Willow. "Date?"

Willow frowned. "N…" Twisting in her seat she turned to face the intruder. Brown hair so dark it was almost black curled past his sticky out ears, and framed the face of the guy she'd known forever, first love first friend… first person to understand her. Here he was, probably to kill her. "Xander." She whispered.

"Hey, Wils." He smiled, and for a moment everything was fine… sunshine and roses and picnics in the park. But then his jacket shifted and she saw the cross and stake neatly tucked in his inner pocket with a shiny new looking cell phone. Willow's eyes dropped back to the table.

Xander glanced at Kate and with a reassuring smile at Willow she relinquished her seat to him. Sitting across from her he ran one hand throw his locks and gave that slightly guilty half-smile she'd drooled over for years. "So, uhm… I guess you don't really want to talk to me."

"It's not a priority." Willow agreed, cool anger tempered in her voice.

"Guess I deserve that."

"You think?"

One fist curled up, and then twisted it so his palm lay flat against the table. A gesture of peace Willow supposed. But then that depended on what he had to say. "I was… thinking about what you said before you left… about the Slayer."

Willow nodded for him to go on, emotion coiled tightly in her stomach. "I know about your link with her and the de-" he saw her face. "…Angelus. I know it's broken now."

Her eyes shot up to meet his, there was no way he should have known that. She hadn't even told Buffy she done the incantation to sever the link yet, though she had no doubt Buffy had felt it's loss, the same way she had. She wanted to shout and yell at him… the deception he must've used… magical as well as physical, he had no right. But she said nothing, just kept her gaze on his, watched the brown iris' size as the light around them subtly shifted. And she wished… she wished more than anything that he had somehow been tricked that the Council, had… done something to him to make him this way.

The lull in speech had been long and Willow supposed he had been expecting her to say something instead of keeping her counsel. "It's over, Willow." He finally said. "You can come home now."

Her heart skipped a beat. "Over?"

"The Council wants you back-"

Willow laughed. And Xander's brow creased in confusion. "Xander, the council has no need for me now." His eyebrow twitched. "They're all dead."

Anger shot through his eyes. "And who told you that? The vampire or his whore?" He shot angrily back at her.

A little frightened by the violence spiking through his aura Willow sat back, pushing her chair a little further away from the table. "Xander they're not - you can't think of them like that, they're just people. Like us." She tried again.

Reaching across the table in a sudden move he seized one arm with his hand and gripped it so tight she could feel her skin bruising under his touch. "You don't get it Willow!" He yelled at her, realising his mistake he pushed her away and sat back, and Willow held her breath as she felt the blood rush back to her fingers, silently she willed a small protection spell around her tiny frame. "I understand," he ground out, "that you had to be here to sever the link, but that's done now. You don't have to pretend to help them anymore. You can come back, and it'll be just the same as before."

"I was never pretending to help!" Willow cried, "I was doing what's right! And I know that you think that's what you're doing… but Xander… you're following a bunch of – of… fools who don't know what they're talking about! And you know where all the rules and ideas and tradition got them Xander? It got them dead, and you'll die too if you don't get out of all of this…"

"If that's the recruitment speech for the fang gang I'm less than impressed." Xander laughed.

"I'm not asking you to help, I'm not asking you to do anything but leave. If you go near Buffy… Angelus will kill you." Crying freely, Willow let out a sob. "Xander… you're my best friend…I don't want to loose you."

"You lost me already Willow." He replied coldly. "When you sided with the demon over me." Shoving his seat away from the table Xander walked away from the girl he'd known forever, who's been his first love and first friend… and now he had to kill her.

Buffy slipped the car into first and with much revving of the engine managed to pull out of the parking lot and smiled as they headed toward the three'o'clock sunshine outside the hospital. It was lucky really that Angel had brought medical insurance as part of his carefully built human personae created to cover his vampiric nature to those snooping in his affairs. Not so much for the fact that he really needed, the bill for the stitches to his stomach and the loan of crutches had been hefty but hardly beyond Angel's budget. It was more that it would have looked even more bizarre than it already did if he hadn't had an identity, when the most prominent business man in California, who'd disappeared from the social scene for months previously stumbled into the hospital supported by a tiny blonde and thoroughly beaten up. For a moment Buffy wondered what rumour the gossip circuits were undoubtedly already pedalling.

But then Angel let out a growl beside her and her eyes shot back to the road in time to swerve around the oncoming traffic. She'd seen him in sunlight before… with the ring and all, but this was different… his skinned glowed a healthy pale pink and his hair was streaked in different shades of brown, his chest rose and feel in a natural rhythm with his breath… it was amazing. "We should go out for dinner." She suggested, "Give your taste buds an awakening."

"Food… I'm starving!" Angel laughed, flicking out his cell phone he rapidly found the number of a restaurant he had taken Buffy to a few nights previously.

"We could invite everyone… maybe have a congratulations on being human party?" she suggested lightly.

Angel glanced at her, "Buffy… we can't tell anyone about this."

She frowned turning to face him, and he anxiously gestured at the road fighting not to yell at her. "Why not?"

"Telling them I'm… mortal…" he paused for a moment, "it would only cause panic."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I'm pretty sure they'd just be happy for you."

Angel sighed, "When a master dies the person that killed them takes their place… I can rule the order like this. But there's no natural succession to the next leader… there will be chaos, our only power is that we get to choose when exactly we release that chaos."

Buffy shrugged, "Why can't Spike just take over, he's pretty much been running it for the last couple of years anyway."

"If vampiric law was that simple I'd've ditched the damn 'master' title years ago." Angel growled. "Please look at the road… I'm begging you… just… drive this car home in one piece and I'll give you anything you want…"

Buffy glared at him via the rear-view mirror. "That better be the stomach wound talking."

Angel raised an eyebrow at her. "It's really not."


End file.
